


All That Lives Must Die

by Lunah_Peixvey



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angus is Taako and Krav's adopted kid, Barry Jorts Bluejeans and his horrible fashion, Blood, Body Horror, Charm Person, Consent Issues, Corruption, Dominate person, Drugs, I do a hit, Internal Conflict, Internal Monologue, Internal Thoughts, Kisses and romantic stuff with a person under the spell of Charm person, M/M, Magnus rushes in, Murder, Not sexually but, Panic Attacks, Possession, Smart Angus McDonald, Tags will update as this does, Temporary Character Death, The Hunger, The Light of Creation - Freeform, a very big hit, blame tfw discord, drugged food, loose interpretations of dnd rules, multi-chapter, parental taakitz, self reflection, taakitz, the seven relics, the umbra staff - Freeform, wow this started out so dramatic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2019-06-24 16:54:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 28,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15634821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunah_Peixvey/pseuds/Lunah_Peixvey
Summary: It all starts with Dominate Person, but there's something very wrong with Taako's soul.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well! Here it finally is!  
> My story All That Lives Must Die finally translated over to AO3!  
> Blame the Taz Fic Writer's Discord for this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof! This was delayed perhaps a bit too long but I absolutely MUST give credit for the bones and base idea of this first chapter to https://archiveofourown.org/works/13185651/chapters/30160200 by Inkedserendipity. (Sorry, html just won't let me embed urls for some reason!). Even though this fanfiction has grown into a beast of it's own, it would be foolish of me to deny credit where credit is due.

Dominate Person. Simple spell, nothing all that complex. But god….some simple things just cost too much. Taako thought about it as he saw his sister ( **his sister** ), walking towards him with her hands alight with flame. He feigned like he had control over this situation, like he had control over **anything** , "Hey, Lulu.”  
  
The possessed lich didn’t answer, merely continued to stride towards him as if she had all the time in the world. (they didn’t, not here not now, they aren’t on the ship and if he dies he won’t come back. if he dies he’ll die for good and he’ll leave her, leave his sister, he promised they’d never be alone he promised she promise they promised)  
  
“Lup-” His voice shook and he tried to tamp down on that as much as he could. “- _Lup_ ” Now he had to focus on trying to make sure he didn’t sound like begging, even as his ears flicked downwards as Lup summoned her scythe.  
  
(He remembers what Kravitz said, one swip severs your soul, puts it in the stockade. His dearest darling Angel of Death never told him what happens when an innocent innocent innocent soul gets severed.)  
  
( _he’s not innocent, he’s died 8 times, he’s died over and over again and he was brought back he’s illegal he’ll go to the stockade and deserve it he deserves it he deserves it_ )  
  
“Lulu put the weapon down. Put it down!” Again his voice shook and he was begging, he was begging. (Taako doesn’t beg he doesn’t he doesn’t he’s too proud and alone and proud and prideful and his pride is for once not his downfall)  
  
His twin’s golden eyes flashed and her grip tightened on the scythe.  
  
( _Lup doesn’t have golden eyes, she has eyes like him he has eyes like her this isn’t right isn’t right isn’t r i g h t_ )  
  
“Lulu come on! We’re _elves_!” His eyes went wide, almost pleadingly so, and he scrambled backwards, tearing his hands open on the gravel in the process, “We’re supposed to be able to not get charmed, you aren’t supposed to be **charmed**!”  
  
His sister didn’t listen, though could she really be counted as his sister now?  
  
( _always always always sister, his sister, his twin, his heart, his companion, his only family, only left alive he missed her during those years and he missed the hole Lucretia left in his soul and he briefly wonders how big the hole he’ll leave in Lup’s soul will be._ )  
  
He’s selfish: he hopes it’s big.  
  
Desperately, he flings his gaze around, trying to find that god forsaken bard doing this. And, he finds him. Barely. Taako only sees the stupid stupid stupid feather on his stupid stupid stupid stupid hat, but it’s enough.  
  
Power flared in his hands as he summoned up a spell: Disintegrate.  
  
The bard (nameless, he doesn’t know who did this doesn’t know will never know) doesn’t have time to speak. Doesn’t have time to do anything. Within seconds that stupid stupid stupid feather on that stupid **stupid stupid** hat is shredded to ashes on the wind.  
  
And yet. It’s too late. Taako feels the cold ice of the scythe drive through his chest, and the last thing he sees before ascending (before being damned down down down down down he’s drowning and suffocating and dying he’s dying he’s _dying_ he’s **dying** ), is his sister’s face. Golden eyes fading away and a horrified look coming to the surface.  
  
He smiles (like Barry smiled when he blasted him off, like a lich smiles when they’re returned to their arcane form), and let’s his head fall back against the hard ground. But…it doesn’t feel all that hard right now. It’s soft, and black and down and down and down and down. But not at peace. But it’s okay. Right?


	2. Chapter 2

“Fix him.”

“Lup, you know that’s not how it works.”

“Fix. Him.”

“Lup-”

“If you don’t fix him, I will.” Lup’s eyes narrowed and licks of flame emitted from her mouth.

“Lup.” Kravitz’s hard tone startled her and she almost dropped her brother, “You know….you know I’d love to, that I love him.” He tried desperately to keep his eyes off of the dead body of his almost-husband. “But it’s not the way that Lady Istus has weaved his fate.”

“Fuck. Fate.”

“Lup, you’re being reckless.” He turned the engagement ring in his finger nervously 

“I don’t care, I’m getting my brother back. I don’t care if you come, but I’m getting Jorts and we’re going back to our roots.”

Kravitz’s reply was cut short by a soft voice coming from behind him, “Sir? Is everything okay?” 

As he turned around, he saw Angus. His eyes widened and he shifted to hide Lup, “Oh...hello Angus. Did you wake up?”

“I heard you talking with Auntie Lup, is everything okay sir?” Angus rubbed at his eyes, muffling a yawn. His hair was still mussed from sleep and lines where his pillow had creased in his face.

“Yes, everything is fine, kiddo.” Kravitz grinned, his eyes temporarily flashing the red pin pricks that happen when he gets agitated. 

“Sir, I’m a clever boy, don’t lie to me, Sir.” He krept closer, sliding his glasses on. 

Kravitz sighed and moved out of the way, allowing him to see Lup, and who she was holding.

“Oh.” For a small boy, Angus’s voice was smaller. 

Lup whapped Kravitz’s upside the head, “Thanks for showing a child a dead body, Krav. I’m going to go get Barry.”

“Get Barry for-” Angus jumped as she slammed the door behind her, “-what.”

Kravitz sighed and moved away from the door, and moved to kneel in front of Angus, “Miss Lup’s getting Barry for a little mission for the Raven Queen.”

“Is it because Mr. Taako’s dead, sir?”

Kravitz’s sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment, “Yes.” He sighed as he felt two small arms wrapping around his neck.

“I miss him.”

“We all do buddy, we all do.” Kravitz leaned out of the hug and ruffled Angus’s hair, a sad smile curling his lips, “Let’s get you back to bed, you may be the world’s greatest detective, but you’re still young and need sleep.”

Angus wrapped his arms around Kravitz’s neck and wrapped his legs around his torso, “Can you carry me to bed?”

“Sure kiddo.” A soft grunt as he lifted Angus and carried him to bed, “Sleep tight, okay? Things will be….things will be better in the morning.”

“Okay sir….” Angus’s words trailed off as he turned over and slowly went to sleep.

Kravitz sighed and patted his head before leaving, slipping the door shut as quietly as possible. As he made his way towards their...his bedroom, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed, “The rules I break and things I do for this family.” A flick of his wrist summoned his scythe and he ripped a portal to the Astral Plane. Lup is so going to owe him one. 

The Astral Plane was filled with luminescent shadows, flashes of black light echoing as if it possessed noise. Finding specific souls were easy if you knew the person, and Kravitz knew Taako’s soul as much as his did his own, better than his own even. It took tense minutes of searching before he found it, and when he did a chill shot down his spine.

It was covered with ink. Dark tendrils marred the surface and it had sunk down into the Sea of Souls. Kravitz cupped it in his hands and lifted it up, grunting with the extra effort. Taako’s soul came loose with a sickening squelching noise and black was still on the surface that wouldn’t come clean no matter how hard he tried to rub it off. 

“Oh...Lup will not like this development.” Kravitz’s carefully slide the soul into his lantern and made his way back to the prime material plane.


	3. Chapter 3

The sickly purple light cast from his lantern worried him. Kravitz has seen Taako’s soul before, shining and brilliant in it’s self contained light. There was none of that brilliance now. It was wrong, something with the soul was deeply and truly wrong. 

Still, Kravitz carried on. He sent a message to Barry and Lup that he had Taako’s soul, and that they owed him. Within minutes, he got a reply back saying that they left Taako’s physical body in their shared bedroom. A flick of his hand, and his scythe appeared in his hand. Another flick, and a portal was opened.

The process of putting a soul back into its body was simple, merely pressing the ball of energy into the body’s mouth. Something he’s done a few times (Kravitz doesn’t like to think about the circumstances of those other times). Something he’s seen more than a few times (images came unbidden to his mind, hands that weren’t his covered in blood, screaming of pleading people turned to necromancy by desperation, altars stained in blood, cries of the unsuccessful still reaped for their crimes). Normally the soul dissipated, light basking over the body as the soul settled in. 

Something was wrong this time, other than the emitted light. When Kravitz took the soul out of his lantern, the soul zipped to Taako and...exploded. Dark tendrils latched onto his body and the soul shoved itself into Taako’s body. But it worked. 

The second the light disappeared, Taako jolted up in bed, gasping and clutching at his chest. Kravitz let himself breath a sigh of relief and moved onto the bed to hold his husband, “Thank the gods, I was...dearest I was so worried about you.”

Taako’s hand (still cool from his day of being a corpse) combed through his hair, “Don’t worry, babe. I’m okay, I’m right here.” There was something that unsettled him in Taako’s voice, and Kravitz leaned back to look him in the eyes, and gasped.

One of his eyes was his normal honey brown (not as alluring as it had been pre-Wonderland, but it encaptured him all the same), all sweet and tender and if Kravitz focused on that eye and that half of his face, he could pretend everything was fine. 

The right side of his face was a different story. Dark tattoos of ink stole up the side of his face, curling around his ear and extending to the bridge of his nose. The tendrils went into his eyes, staining the white sclera with their sheer wrongness.

“Dearest? Is anything wrong?” Taako’s voice sounded normal, sounded as it always have, but there was something that kept him warded. 

“N-no. Nothing’s wrong.” Kravitz summoned up his best smile and kissed his husband on the forehead, “Why don’t you...take a nap. You’ve had a complicated few days. I’ll leave you alone so you can rest.” He stood, as if to leave the bedroom, but was stopped.

Taako’s hand darted out to grab his arm with a grip tighter than necessary. “No. Why don’t you stay here, stay with me.” 

Kravitz could feel familiar magic worming into his brain, and stiffened in Taako’s grasp. A charm spell, his own husband was trying to charm him. It was only thanks to the blessings of The Raven Queen that he was able to resist his husband, “No..no. You need your rest, I’m going to call Lup and Barry to come-”

“No.” Taako’s voice was calm and he tugged Kravitz back onto the bed with his grip of steel, “You don’t need to call them, we’re fine here. Just by ourselves.”

It was too much to resist this time, and Kravitz heard himself mumbled out, “Just by ourselves.” His eyelids fluttered and he raised his hand to rub at his temple, “Wh-.”

“You were telling me that you were going to go help Ango get ready for school and then come back.” His husband supplied, ever so helpfully.

Kravitz smiled and nodded, “Right, thanks for reminding me.” Another kiss to his husband’s face, “I won’t be long, dear.”

Taako grinned, and leaned back in his bed, “Oh, I know.”

Kravitz paused by the door, a slight frown twisting his lips, “By the way, Taako.”

“Yes dear?” One of Taako’s hands twitched and Kravitz found his mind blank.

“I….forget.”

“Well it couldn’t have been that important if you’ve forgotten, right babe?” Taako tilted his head, arching his eyebrow.

“Right. Well I better go help Angus get ready.”

“Come back when you’re done.” There was a familiar lilt to Taako’s voice and it made Kravitz feel safe.

“Of course.” A slight nod and he closed the door behind him, “Angus?”

“Yes, sir?” The voice was closer than Kravitz thought, and he jumped as he turned around to see his adopted son behind him.

“Oh, I just. I’m going to help you make lunch since Taako is resting after coming back.”

“Shouldn’t you tell Miss Lup and Mr. Jorts?” The corners of Angus’s lips twitched up at the nickname he gave Barry.

“Not today, kiddo.”

“Why not, sir?” Angus looked at him, eyes now narrowed in slight suspicion.

“Taako told me to wait a bit. And I respect his decision.”

“...Okay, sir.” Angus reached into his pocket, and pulled out a note, “School’s closed today, there was a fire in the auditorium.”

Kravitz looked at the note, scanning it and checking if it was legitimate. “Okay.”

Angus wrinkled his nose, a slight frown twisting his lips. The frown only deepened as Kravitz handed him back the note and made his way back to Taako’s bedroom. His eyes narrowed as he heard the click of a lock.

He moved closer to the door, pressing his ear up against the door to listen into their conversation.

While the voices were muffled, Angus could make out Taako talking. “Did you tell anyone about my soul before putting it back into me?”

“No Taako.” Kravitz’s voice was devoid of emotion.

“Does anyone else besides you, me, Lup, and Barry know that I died?”

“Yeah...Angus...our kid.” Kravitz sounded like he was sleeping, tired and sleepy.

“The kid.” Angus’s eyes widened as he heard the pure contempt in his adopted father’s voice, “Keep him unsuspicious, okay darling?”

“Of course, Taako.” He could hear the soft smile in his voice, but it only sent a chill through his spine under these circumstances.

Angus scrambled away from the door, darting into his room and rummaging in his drawer to find his stone of farspeech. Dialing it to the first Bird’s frequency that he found, Angus whispered into the glowing stone, “Magnus? Sir, something is very wrong with my dad.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Magnus? Sir, something is very wrong with my dad.”

“Angus? What’s wrong?” Magnus lifted the glowing rock to his ear (he never got over how weird talking into a rock was).

“He...sir, Taako died.” A pause and Angus continued, the slightly muffled sound of him running his fingers through his hair echoing into the stone, “And now he’s back but something’s wrong and off about him. Sir...I’m scared.” His voice broke and Magnus was reminded that he was only eleven.

“Are you at home?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be right over.” Magnus hung up and grabbed his battleaxe from it’s spot on the wall and called for his dog, “Johann! Let’s go!”

 

Angus was waiting by the front door when he got there (even though it had been at least five hours since Magnus said he was on his way), and he motioned for Magnus to be quiet. Once he got within whispering distance, Angus spoke softly, “He doesn’t know I called you, we’ll have to enter in through the back entrance. Try not to make a lot of sound, they think I’m asleep.” He slipped his hand into Magnus’s much larger one and tugged him around the side of his house. Angus’s eyes were wide and there was a nervous twist to his lips.

Magnus nodded and shushed his dog as he let himself get led to the back porch, “Why doesn’t Kravitz know.” He tried to keep his voice as quiet as it would allow itself to be.

Angus didn’t reply, but the downward twist of his lips was an answer in and of itself. He slowly twisted the knob of the door and pushed it open to avoid and clicks of metal on metal. Angus motioned for Magnus to continue following him as he moved towards his bedroom.

Magnus attempted to corral Johann into the room and once Angus closed the door and flicked his wand to cast a silencing charm, he looked up at him, “Angus, tell me everything that happened.”

He sighed and sat down on the bed, clenching and unclenching his hands, “You see, Aunt Lup came over yesterday...and I couldn’t really hear the entire conversation because I was supposed to be sleeping at the time, but I saw her...and she was holding Taako’s-” A pause and Angus let his gaze drop to the ground, “Sir...she was holding Taako’s body and...he wasn’t moving and his clothes were covered in blood and-”

There was a small snapping noise and Angus looked up to see that Magnus had snapped the handle of his battle axe, “Oh..sorry kid, keep. Keep talking.”

Angus flicked his wrist, snapping the wood back into place for Magnus before continuing, “Sir, Taako was dead. I mean...dead dead, and now he’s not. I’m not sure what Dad did, but something bad happened with Taako. He didn’t sound right sir, he was...condescending and I think he was casting charm person on Kravitz because he didn’t seem to notice how his husband was acting.” He jumped slightly as he felt Johan’s tongue lap at his bare leg and he reached down to ruffle his fur.

Magnus set his battleaxe down on the bed and came over, kneeling down to embrace his adopted nephew in his arms. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. Do you have a guest bedroom?”

Angus nodded, “It’s right next to mine, too, sir!”

Magnus allowed a slight grin to come to his face, “That’s perfect. Now, I’m going to go outside and then go to the front of house and act like I’m visiting for the weekend and know nothing.”

He felt tiny fists clutch at his shirt, “Don’t...sir please don’t let him charm you. I can’t get to the bottom of this mystery alone.”

“I thought you were the World’s Greatest Boy Detective?”

“I am, sir! But even the greatest boy detective needs help sometimes. Like now.”

He thought on that for a bit, and then nodded. Giving Angus one last squeeze, Magnus broke the hug off and patted Johann on the head, “I’ll be going to the front now.”

“Be safe sir!”

“I always am.” Magnus winked as he left through the backway, Johann trotting at his heels, only to ring the front doorbell.

Angus kicked his feet nervously on his chair, and then moved to press his ear to the door to listen to Taako’s voice.

“Darling,” Even through the door, Angus could hear a twinge of darkness in his father’s voice, “were we expecting company and you didn’t tell me about it.”

“I don’t think so, love.” Kravitz’s voice was soft, and loving as if he didn’t notice any of the offness about him.

Angus heard the doorbell ring again, and figured it was around now that he would normally be coming out to investigate. Feigning ignorance and innocence all at once, he opened the door and saw Taako walking out of the room. He had to slap his hand over his mouth to stop from gasping as he saw the right side of his face.

Dark goop dribbled from the corner of his right eye like he was constantly crying, only for that goop to sink into his skin and going the multitude of dark tendrils emanating from somewhere further down his chest. The eye, instead of being it’s normal brown that Angus was so used to, was stained with ink.

Swallowing his horror before it could escape his mouth, Angus slapped a characteristic smile on his face before joining him, “Do we have company, sir?”

Taako jumped, and narrowed his eyes at Angus in the type of anger that had never been directed at him before. As if he was catching himself, Taako forced his gaze to soften and a soft smile to curl his lips upwards, “It appears so, bubbeluh.”

Even the term of endearment twisted the knot in Angus’s stomach, but he gestured towards the door anyway, “Let’s see for ourselves!”

Taako’s grip tightened almost imperceptibly (completely so if you weren’t the greatest boy detective) on his wand and he nodded, “Yes. Let’s.” He strode towards the door and twisted the knob to open it. Again, his gaze softened (from the new distance, Angus couldn’t tell how real it was) as he saw Magnus. Throwing open his arms, Taako grinned at him, “Magnus, my dear friend, how are you.” 

Angus shifted forwards, now able to see Magnus trying unsuccessfully to hide his horror at one of his best friend’s face, “I’m...good. I was just in the neighborhood and figured I’d stop by to hang out for the night.”

He reached out and grabbed Magnus by the shoulder, nails making marks on the leather strap going across his chest from how tight he was gripping him, “Of course we have room for you to stay. Kravitz, darling! Come out and meet our guest.”

Kravitz slowly walked out of their room, his suit blazer off and his white shirt rumpled and unbuttoned. Dark marks the same color as the goop dripping from Taako’s eye covered his mouth and his eyes were the purple of Taako’s magic.

Angus found himself scribbling in his notebook: Charm Person = eyes color of casters magic???

Magnus froze up as he was tugged into his friend’s home (Taako always had to physically get behind him and push with his entire body to even move him a bit, now he was effortlessly dragging him in) and whistled softly to get Johann following inside.

Johann uncharacteristically whined and cowered in the doorway, whining and pushing his nose towards Taako.

Taako, for all his credit, merely smiled and patted Magnus on the shoulder, “How about the dog stays outside, hm?”

“No.” Magnus recovered and yanked his shoulder away from Taako’s grip, raising his hand up to rub at the half moon marks in the leather, “The dog stays with me.”

Purple smoke curled around Taako’s fingers and he kept smiled (though there was now a certain tenseness to his cheeks), “No, really Magnus I do insist! After all, it’ll only get hair all over my house and you know how I feel about doing housework.”

Magnus, for all his jokes about being the dumbest of the Tres Horny Boys, succeeded in resisting Taako’s charm and shook his head, “You’ve never had a problem with Johann coming in before, why has that changed.”

The smoke dissipated and Taako’s smile fell for a second before it was back and brilliant as ever, “Right. Okay. The dog stays.” His hand drifted back to Magnus’s shoulder, “Would you like me to show you to your room?”

“I’ve seen your house before, Taako. I know where your guest room is.” He jerked his shoulder away from him again and put a few paces worth of distance between them.

“Very well. Dinner will be ready in an hour or two, and knowing your appetite, Magnus, I’ll have to make it very filling.” Taako flicked his hand and Kravitz moved closer to him, wrapping his arm around his husband and turning his head to kiss his neck. 

Magnus turned away from the lovebirds and flashed an overly cheery smile at Angus, “Hey, kid, why don’t you help me with my dog and getting him settled down is.”

“Right away, sir!” Angus seemed to relax at the prospect of getting away from his two dads. Moving forwards, he gently tugged on Johann’s collar, “C’mon boy!” Johann, for all his being a dogness, trotted towards the spare bedroom.

Magnus didn’t let his grip up on his battleaxe until he was in his guest bedroom. Dropping it down on the bed, he waited until Angus recast Silence on the room before speaking, “I’ve never seen anything like what was on Taako.”

Angus nodded, hands nervously tugging at his tie, “Neither have I sir! I only just saw it right then and there, and I haven’t seen anything like that in any of the books I’ve read! But Kravitz-” He reached into his pocket and flipped open his notebook to where he jotted notes down, “-if I recall correctly, someone’s eyes turning the color of someone else’s magic is a key symptom of having over exposure to Charm Person.”

“Which would explain his complete lack of uncaring at how his husband was acting.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Magnus thought on this, rubbing his beard and his exceptionally fluffy sideburns, “I dunno if this is my jurisdiction kid, I’m a brute force guy-”

“-and yet you resisted Taako’s Charm Person that he was most definitely casting, sir!”

“Yeah...that’s probably due to this.” Magnus reached into his shirt and pulled on a silver chain to show a pendant to Angus, “Lucy gave me this a bit ago, to keep my head in my body.” A soft smile and he chuckled, “She always knows somehow. But like I said, I’m a brute force kinda guy. I think we should call in another Bird, maybe Lup or Bar-”

“No! Not Miss Lup!” Angus threw his hands up, “I know her, she’ll blame herself for begging Kravitz to bring him back and she’ll sink into a spiral of self hatred and despair.”

“What about Barry?”

“Can we really trust him to not to tell Lup everything?”

“Fair point. What about Davenport?”

“Off on a trip.”

“Wow, you know more about where our family is than I do.” Magnus chuckled softly.

“I like to keep tabs on where my family is at all times.” Angus stuck his pencil behind his ear.

“Okay so that’s three birds, five counting Taako and I, out. What about Merle and Lucy?”

“They...they might be able to help.”

Magnus reached for his stone and attuned it for Merle, “Merle, buddy, I hope you got your spell slots ready. There’s trouble.”

Angus reached for his own and dialed up The Director, “Miss Lucretia? I think we need your help.”


	5. Chapter 5

The night following alerting the two Bird’s about an issue was tense. Taako had prepared them a dinner. Kravitz merely stared after him dreamily from the kitchen table, flicking the end of his undone tie over two fingers. Completely tone deaf to the mood of the room.

Magnus and Angus shared looks, and sat down on the opposite end of the table (as far as they could without seeming rude or conspiritory) and watched Taako and Kravitz with careful eyes. Their napkins were already on their laps and their plates were cleared for the main meal.

Angus watched him cook, making careful notes of what he was putting in (he had a brief thought, of a happenstance years ago, of a dash of nightshade in his food and forty cadavers). He had to tamp down on a shudder, tamp down on the fear of the possibility that he might die at his own father’s hands. (He expected to die at his father’s hands, but not these father’s, neither of these father’s, not like this.) 

Magnus was absorbed with focusing on Kravitz, every so often waving his hand in front of his face to see if he reacted. He never did, merely kept staring at his husband with paled out purple eyes the color of his husband’s magic. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Magnus raised his eyebrow at Angus, but it went unnoticed. 

It was more tense minutes before the dinner (steak, spiced and cooked to perfection as always) was set in front of them. “All done, sorry for the wait.”

“Oh it wasn’t any bother.” Kravitz smiled and pulled his chair out for him, “Come on, sit down with us.” When his husband sat down, he leaned into him, kissing at his neck.

Taako flashed Magnus a grin (those teeth could be seen sharper than they were hours ago), and carefully pushed Kravitz away from his neck, “Later dearest, eat my dinner I’ve so lovingly prepared for you.”

Kravitz sank back into his chair and nodded, “Okay.” Before carefully taking the steak knife and portioning out the meal to the four of them.

Angus and Magnus didn’t touch their food, waiting for Taako and Kravitz to eat it.

“What? Do you really think I’d poison you?” Taako’s voice was light, but all Angus could think about the underlying threat: Do you really think I’d be so obvious? But still, he proved his point and cut a piece off of his meat to eat it, “See? All safe.”

“No, dad, of course not.” Angus smiled as realistically he could be before he himself cut off a piece of the steak, “Delicious as always, sir!”

Magnus cut a piece of his steak off, and ate it, “Yeah, fantastic Taako.”

“Well, I was a world famous chef after all.” Taako was never modest, even before this.

“Right...not like you ever let us forget about it.” Magnus chuckled. 

Taako didn’t. His smile tightened at the corners, “Let’s...eat our dinner before it gets cold, okay?”

At the sheer awkwardness, Angus couldn’t stifle the snort that exited his mouth. Stuffing another piece of steak in his mouth to muffle it, he gently kicked Magnus’s shin under the table.

The mood never recovered, and they spent the rest of dinner in silence (only interrupted by the sound of metal scraping against ceramic). A flick of his wand and Taako got the dishes doing themselves as he gently tugged on Kravitz’s tie.

“Another fabulous dinner, courtesy of me.” Taako focused his gaze on Kravitz, “You two can entertain yourselves, I trust. I’m going to retire, come on Kravitz.” Giving his husband no real option, he slowly led him to the bedroom. The door slammed shut, and the click the lock made was audible.

“Merle better get here soon.” Magnus said, voicing what both of them were thinking.

(insert break)

Merle was the first to arrive (Angus didn’t find that surprising, Lucretia was very important), a day after he was called. Magnus and him were talking in his room as they saw that a wind picked up and the flowers seemed to brighten up, “Merle.”

Sadly, Angus and Magnus couldn’t get to him before he rang the door. His familiar gruff voice calling out, “Taako, Reaper man! Open it, your favorite cleric is here!”

Magnus huffed and stood up, “Cleric, as if he ever fucking did anything cleric-like.”

Angus chuckled and stood up, “Let’s see if we can get to him before Taako and Krav, I wanna explain-” His words cut off as he heard his dad’s door open.

“Kravitz?” Taako was barely masking the steel in his tone, “I know you didn’t expect Magnus, but did you not tell me about Merle coming to visit.”

“Of course not.” Kravitz reply was immediate.

Angus opened the door and motioned for Magnus to follow him, and Magnus in turn motioned for Johann to stay. They made their way into the living room and saw Taako and Kravitz.

Kravitz’s pupils had disappeared, instead becoming purple like his iris. His shirt was rumpled as ever and he was leaning into Taako with his arm wrapped around his waist.

Taako’s tendrils had dragged themselves further over his face, staining his lips dark purple and curling around his right eye. “Then let’s say hello to yet...another uninvited guest.” He left Kravitz alone (Krav stayed where he was left and merely smiled passively after his husband), and opened the door, “Hello, Merle.” There was a new sharpness to his smile, even though his teeth hadn’t changed.

Merle, for all his worth, recovered better than Magnus did, considering he had no warning. “Oh...well I’m so sorry if I showed up without your permission, your highness. Besides, I heard Magnus was in town and figured I’d reunite the Tres Horny Boys.”

“The wh-” Taako’s face betrayed his confusion, before recovering, “Right...right. Tres Horny Boys! Back at it again!” A cheery smile near split Taako’s face and he grabbed Merle, nails digging into his shoulder just like he did to Magnus. “I hope you won’t mind either sleeping on the couch or sharing a room with Magnus.”

“Please, we were all sharing a room on the moon base, I think I can handle sharing a room with the big lug for one or two nights.”

“Well.” Angus noticed how Taako’s grip and his smile tightened, “Please feel free to stay as long as you want. I mean, really Merle,” Purple smoke curled around his fingers and Angus could see Merle’s hands tighten into fists as he resisted the charm. “You’re more than just a friend, you’re family.”

“Right...thanks for that, buddy.” Merle brushed Taako’s hand off and moved to where Angus and Magnus were standing. Craning his neck up to look Magnus in the face, Merle scowled, “I think we need to catch up.”

“Yeah, we do.” Magnus clapped Merle on the back, pushing him forward as they walked him into Angus’s room (where they had set up a sort of base). Shutting the door behind him, Magnus gestured for Angus to cast silence. 

A flick of his wand and Angus collapsed into his chair, allowing his tiredness to show on his face, “Well, I’m sure you can see, sir, but something’s wrong with Taako.”

“Yeah, I’d fuckin’ say so.” Merle hopped onto Angus’s bed, “What happened to him.”

Angus sighed and ran his hand through his hair, “Well, it happened two days ago, when Aunt Lup came holding Taako’s dead body and-”

“Hold up!” Merle held his hand up to stop Angus in his verbal tracks, “He died?”

“Yes he died, please do not interrupt me sir. There’s a lot of information and I don’t think that we have an infinite amount of time for me to tell you every single detail.” He figeted in his chair, chewing on his bottom lip, “So as I was saying, sirs, Aunt Lup came to our home holding dad’s dead-”

“-You call Taako dad?”

“Merle! What did Ango just say?” Magnus looked over his shoulder at the door, as if he was expecting Taako to bust in.

“Right, sorry, continue.”

“Aunt Lup came home, Taako’s dead, and she begs Kravitz to bring him back. Kravitz...dad...he went to the Astral Plane and brought Taako’s soul back, but I think something’s wrong with it. I mean, sir you can see his face. The tendrils and the goop,” Angus broke off, shivering and twisting his hands together.

Magnus sighed and set a hand on Angus’s shoulder, “And you and I both saw Kravitz. Something’s definitely up. Ango here figured out that it was Charm Person that was affecting him, which explains his weird eyes.”

“It also explains the feeling that I got when he put his hand on my shoulder. Knew he was trying to do something bad to me.” Merle scowled and tugged at his beard, “Charm person, huh? Ain’t that a thing you can resist.”

“Of course you can, sir!” Angus spoke up, patting the hand on his shoulder with one of his smaller ones, “He hasn’t tried to charm me, but he tried the same thing with Magnus and well-” He gestured to the obviously non charmed Burnsides.

Magnus, in turn, gestured at his necklace, “Gift from Lucretia.”

“Yeah, you always did suck as Wisdom saves, haven’t ya?” Merle laughed (one of the only ones to be echoed in this house since Taako’s change), “Do you have any theories about what could be wrong with Taako?”

“None, sir. I haven’t learned Detect Magic yet, I was supposed to in a few months. So we called up you and Madam Direct- I mean Miss Lucretia to help us.” Angus fiddled with his tie, “Please, try to see what’s wrong with him.”

Merle sighed, letting his eyes slip shut, “Alright, kid, I’ll try my best.”

“Thank you.” Angus opened his mouth as if he was going to say more, but was interrupted by another ring of the door bell.


	6. Chapter 6

The doorbell rang, and outside of it stood a tall, willowy woman. Her skin was the color of ebony, her hair a shock of white that made her look older than she was, her robes a deep purple. Her name was Lucretia, and she was here to help her friend.

Said friend was currently running his fingers through a charmed man’s hair, and decided that he had let his son grow a bit too powerful. A flick of his hand caused Angus’s door to lock itself, and Taako stood from the couch, “Stay down, Krav. I won’t be too long.” A wicked smile twisted his lips and a flick of his wrist cast Disguise Self, and he was perfect.

Lucretia drummed her fingers on her staff, debating whether or not to ring the doorbell again when the door opened, “Oh, Taako. Hello.”

He flashed her a bright grin, opening his door wider and beckoning her into his home, “Lucretia! How nice to see you! So, what brings you down off of your moon base, Madam Director?” 

She huffed, rolling her eyes as she walked into his home, staff thumping alongside her, “Please, I haven’t been The Director in years, and we’ve know each other for a bit over a century now. I think you can just call me Lucy again.”

“Okay then, Lucy,” He grinned, kicking the door shut with a foot as he took her arm and led her towards the kitchen, “Why don’t we catch up over tea? I haven’t seen you in months!” When they were inside, he flicked his hand and the door shut. (If Lucretia thought about it, she would’ve noticed the click of a lock.)

“Tea sounds just right, thank you.” Lucretia smiled and took a seat at the table, leaning her staff against the table, “Do you remember how I like it?”

“Black tea, steeped for exactly five minutes.” Taako flashed her a grin over his shoulder as he brought over an enchanted kettle and two tea cups with saucers and teaspoons.

“You’re a good friend, Taako, and I’m glad we could...clear the air after all that...after the mistakes I made in regards to-”

“-To stealing my memories of my family and my sister?” Taako’s voice was as sweet as ever, though steel had entered his spine.

Lucretia ducked her head, blushing slightly as she scratched the back of her neck, “Right...really Taako, I am truly sorry. I thought it was for the best.”

Taako flicked his hand dismissively, scoffing lightly, “Water under the bridge, my dear, water under the bridge!” His grin returned and he glanced at the now whistling kettle, “Ah, tea’s ready.” He poured them both a cup (if Lucretia could find a way to mention it without being rude, she would mention the light lavender tint to the water) and pushed Lucretia’s towards her, “Five minutes to steep.”

“Five minutes to steep,” She agreed. Bending over her cup, Lucretia took a deep inhale of the aromantic tea. “Sadly, I’m not here on pleasure. Your son, Angus, called me. He said something was wrong.” Her eyebrows furrowed, “Is anything wrong, Taako?”

Taako’s lips twitched into a grimace, “Angus called you? Funny, he seems to be calling a lot of people. Getting into a lot of shit, that kid is. But anyway, no. I think he has this whole plot to get all seven birds here to throw a party or needle us for information. Nothing to worry about, but you should tell the moonbase you’re going to be here for a few days or weeks. I don’t know Angus’s full plot.”

“Ah, okay. Well, I was due for a vacation anyway.” She clicked on her Stone of Farspeech, and told Avi that she was staying at Taako’s for a while. Setting her stone aside, Lucretia took a deep breath of the aromatic tea. Taking it in, she leaned back in her chair, relaxing in the comfortable and cozy atmosphere of Taako’s kitchen. 

If she thought about it, she’d notice that the tea warming her palms was much to aromatic for the black tea she had requested. But she didn’t. It was much easier to continue chatting about nothing in particular (the weather, past exploits, recent gossip) and sipping the weirdly sweet tea.

If she thought about it, she’d notice that the corners of her vision had taken on a purple tinge at the edges. But she didn’t. It was easier to request more of the light lavender water, and slowly down it and then repeat.

If she thought about it, she would’ve noticed that Taako had kicked her staff away from her. And she did. Lucretia stumbled to her feet, grimacing at the building migraine, “What was in that tea, Taako?” She looked around, eyes narrowing as she tried to grasp her staff.

“Charm Person, liquified and imbued within the tea.” Taako allowed his disguise self to fall, revealing the ink stealing up the side of his face and curling around his eye and nose and lip like a false ironwright tattoo. Dark goop dribbled out of his right eye as he paced towards her, the Bulwark Staff in his grasp, “Angus called you here because he was worried about me, isn’t that just darling, Lucy?” The nickname dripped from his lips like venom, “But don’t worry, I plan to put his head at rest.” A flick of his hand sent her back into the chair, and another one opened a cabinet. Into which her staff flew and locked itself up. “Can’t have one of those old relics just laying around, now can we Lucy?”

Lucretia grunted as she felt herself get stuck in the chair, her vision kept getting blurrier and blurrier until it went black (not black, dark purple).

When she woke up, Lucretia was seated in a comfortable padded chair, with her very good friend Taako fawning over her.

“Lucy! You’re awake!” His eyes went wide and she was suddenly hugged against his chest (no pulse no heartbeat why isn’t his heart beating why-) “Oh when you passed out I was so scared for you.”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine Taako.” Lucretia grimaced and rubbed at her temple.

Taako held up a cup of tea, aromatic and lavender [just how she likes it] (that’s not how she likes it) [just how she likes it], “Tea?”

“Yes. Thank you, Taako.”


	7. Chapter 7

Angus fiddled with the lock, his face paling, “No...no.” He jumped back as the paring knife it shattered in the lock.

Magnus yanked Angus away from the door, “Kid, stop it. You’re gunna get yourself-” The door unlocked, “-hurt.” Angus yanked out of Magnus grip and dashed out, barely remembering to grab his wand before doing so. The second he cleared the doorway, it slammed shut and locked. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Magnus threw his hands up and looked at Merle, “This isn’t going to end well.

 

When Angus entered the kitchen (where he had heard voices), he was met with a normal sight under abnormal contextes. Lucretia and Taako were sitting at the kitchen table (something much more common once they had moved past the voidfish incident), drinking a sweet smelling lavender tea.

Taako grinned and turned his head towards his son, “Hello Angus.” His voice was honey, slowly dripping, and his face was normal, none of that unsettling corruption. “Would you like to have a cup of tea with us? We’re just chatting so ya ain’t interrupting anything.”

Angus tightened his grip on his wind and pointed it (more shakily than he’d like) at Taako, “What did you do to her?”

Lucretia was the one to answer, with a scoff, “Do to me? Angus, I’m just having tea. Nothing’s been done to me.” And yet, contrary to her words, Angus could see a slight lavender tint to her iris.

“That’s a lie! I’m a smart boy and I know the signs of Charm Person.” He tightened his grip till his knuckles were white and his wand was steady, “Stop charming her!”

He waved his hand and Angus gasped as his wand was pulled out of his hand, straight into a cabinet where he could see Lucretia’s Bulwark Staff already contained, “Now, now, Angus. Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to point weapons at your father.” Purple smoke billowed around his fingers, and slowly drifted towards Angus. A flick of his free hand and Angus couldn’t move (his legs were stuck and he couldn’t move past the knees). “Damn, I’m wasting all my spell slots on a fucking twelve year old.” Taako grumbled to himself as he walked closer.

“Sir, I know you’re still in there. I know you don’t really wanna do this to me.” Angus held his hands out in front of him, as if he was trying to stop Taako’s advance, “Sir, please I’m your son! Don’t do this to your son!”

“Still in here?” Taako paused in his path, cocking an eyebrow at him, “I don’t know what you mean, Angus.” A pause and a laugh that got him bent at the waist, “Oh...don’t tell me. You think I’m possessed!” Another cackle and he wiped away a fake tear, “Now that...that is a fucking riot, boychik.”

“Don’t call me that!” Angus screamed, knowing that the loud noise would tip off the other two in the house that something was going wrong. “You’re not my dad! Only Taako can call me that!”

He moved closer, and took Angus’s chin (the grip was softer than he would’ve thought), “I am Taako, Ango. I’m not possessed, there’s nothing twisting me up or that has me in it’s thrall.” He glanced behind him at Lucretia (still sipping her tea like nothing was going on), “It’s very much the opposite. But don’t worry. Being charmed doesn’t hurt, it’s like laying down for a nice nap. A nice heavy blanket laying over you and making the decisions for you.” 

Angus groaned, trying to pull his head out of Taako’s grip, “No...stop trying to charm me.”

“Can you blame me?” Taako’s voice was innocent, even as his disguise dropped and Angus could see that the corruption had spread further over his face, “It’ll be the only way I’ll have my happy family back.” The charm in his voice was audible, cloying the air around him and making him dizzy, “Just...let yourself go, Angus. I’ll take care of everything, you don’t have to worry anymore kiddo. You. Don’t. Have. To. Worry.” The purple smoke billowed up faster, and Angus had to let his deep breath go and inhale deeply.

His eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed into Taako’s arms. He grunted as he caught his son and he carried his small body (he seemed smaller when he was asleep, more fragile.) Even in his corrupted state, Taako didn’t want him getting hurt. Didn’t want his family getting hurt. It would be better like this, he told himself, if they’re under your control they can’t feel pain. This is for the best.

Setting him up in his chair, Taako poured him a cup of tea and added some cream to it. He shook Angus’s shoulder, “Boychik? You alright there?”

Angus blearily opened his eyes, groaning as he rubbed at his forehead, “Sir? What-” What did you do to me, stop charming Lucretia, I know what you’ve done! “-What happened?”

“Oh thank god you’re okay, Angus!” Taako’s eyes were wide with worry (fake, it had to be fake didn’t it?) “You came in once you heard Lucretia’s voice and you tripped on a loose tile and hit your head rather hard. Knocked you clean out, Ango.” His fingers ran over Angus’s forehead, as if trying to find a bump or bruise, “I’ll check you out later to see if you have a concussion okay? Right now-” He grabbed the cup of tea and pressed it into Angus’s hands, “-it’s time for Taako’s Specialty Healing Tea.”

Angus heard himself laugh and nod his head as he took a sip of the tea, “You’ve never given me your specialty tea before.” A cruel false voice of his teased, “Was I not special enough for it?” Why can’t he just grab his wand if he can only grab his wand he can fix everything he can fix- Taako was talking.

“Just created it this day, boychik.” A flick of his hand (unlocking the door unlocking the door. Merle and Magnus can help him they can save him), and Taako patted him on the cheek, “Drink up.” 

He felt his hands (out of his control), raise the cup to his lips to take another long slip of the tea. 

It was easy, wasn’t it? Was this why Kravitz allowed himself to stay charmed by his husband? Because it was easy and safe and you didn’t have to worry?

Another sip, and Angus found it harder to keep a grasp on himself. The energy in the room was cloying, making it harder to keep his thoughts (the only part of him that was really him at this point) to himself. Another sip of tea and Angus felt like he was spiraling, and he almost put the cup down. His hands moved to set down for a split second before the aroma got to him again and he raised it up to his lips.

“Feeling better?” Taako’s voice was concerned, but the smile twisting his lips could be nothing but smug.

“Yes, thanks sir!” Angus’s voice was bright, as if he couldn’t see the corruption that had overtaken over half of Taako’s face at this point. He was just about to take another sip when the door to the kitchen was kicked in.

Magnus and Merle stood there, Magnus with his battleaxe at the ready and Merle with his X-Treme Teen Bible open in his hand. The two of them both stopped when they saw Angus (briefly, he wondered if his eyes were purple yet).

“Oh, sorry about that. I guess I’m just so used to locking doors after me that I forgot I had guests!” Taako laughed, tapping the side of his head, and his hand found purchase on Angus’s shoulder. No need for purple smoke this time.

Magnus didn’t let his battleaxe drop for a second, “What did you do to the kid, Taako?”

“To Angus?” Taako gasped, as if he could really be offended by the question, “Why would I do anything to my son, Magnus? I was just giving him some healing tea because he fell and knocked himself out.”

“He’s not wrong, sirs!” Angus heard himself pipe up (his voice sounded distant, as if he was miles away from his body), “I took a nasty fall, but don’t worry! I’m feeling all better.”

As the blood drained from Magnus and Merle’s face, Angus figured he was correct in his assumption that his eyes were at the very least lavender tinted at this point. 

Merle slowly closed his Teen Bible and put it into his pocket. Ever the Peacemaker (his title his bird title merle will help merle will save him) [From what?], he opened his hands, palms down in a placating gesture, “We believe you buddy, don’t worry. Just...how about you let me see the kid? I’m a cleric after all.”

Angus could’ve jumped for joy (if he had a body, if he wasn’t controlled) [If He Had A Reason], but didn’t. Taako’s nails were digging into him, but the pain seemed secondhand. Taako didn’t want him alone with Merle, and Angus trusts Taako the most. Merle never liked him after all, Taako was just protecting him.

“You say that as if you can heal for shit, old man.” Taako laughed, but there was an edge, “Thanks for the offer, but I think my own magic helped the kid more than you have.”

Merle’s face darkened and his hands clenched and unclenched to and from fists very quickly. “Alright.” (stop no merle what are you doing save me save me s a v e m e). “I trust you Taako, I really do. You’re my buddy after all.” Angus noticed how Merle’s focus darted across Taako’s body (trying to find a magic item, a relic, something to break to free everyone). He also noticed how his face fell (unnoticeable to anyone not a detective like him) when he found nothing.

Angus spoke again, “Yeah, sirs! I’m fine, I just took a slight fall, but I’m all better now. I swear!” As if to prove it, Angus stood up. He was laughing slightly as he walked in a straight line, almost all the way to them (few more feet and they can grab him and go). “See? I’m all okay!”

Magnus frowned slightly, but slowly lowered his battleaxe, “If you say so kid.” There was a tone underneath that Angus couldn’t decipher (yes he could he just needed him to speak again). But Magnus slipped his axe into it’s holder across his back.

“What’s for dinner?” Everyone in the room (minus Lucretia, who didn’t seem like she noticed anyone had entered after Angus) jumped and turned to look at Kravitz as he entered. A bright smile was twisting his lips as he made his way over to his husband and son. A slight ruffle of Angus’s hair and a kiss on Taako’s cheek had him looking relaxed. 

Everything was okay. Angus has his family. Kravitz has his family. Taako just needs three more people before he has his whole family.


	8. Chapter 8

Barry was on a bounty when he got his call. Flicking his wrist to answer the stone, Barry sandwiched it between his shoulder and his ear as he walked towards the fortress, “‘Yello?”

“Barry what have I said about answering the phone with that word?” Taako’s voice teased, a slight laugh echoing out, “Anyway, you busy?”

“Nah.” Barry raised his foot up and kicked down the door, sending the necromantic circle scrambling. A flick of his wrist and he severed two of their souls from their bodies to send them to the Eternal Stockade, “What’s up, Taks?” Another flick and three souls were sent to the stockade.

“Oh, I’m hosting a small shindig for the Birds, and well, we’d need all of the Birds there to really make it a party.”

“A small shindig? You’re hosting a small shindig?” Barry laughed, shaking his head as much as he could without dislodging the stone, “Anyway, I’m in. When should I be there?” He scraped his scythe across the chalk circle on the floor, breaking the spell.

“Now.” Taako’s voice was calm, weirdly calm, “Mags, Merle, and Lucy are already here. We just need you, Lulu, and Dav to get them all here.”

“Oh...I’ll be there in a few minutes. I just gotta finish up my current bounty.” He slashed with his scythe, finishing off the other three necromancers in the room. “There we go.”

“You’re on the bounty right now? Jort man you told me you weren’t busy!”

“Don’t call me Jort man, and I wasn’t! I took your call didn’t I?”

“I call you Jort man because you wear jorts and they disgust me. You digust me.”

“Yeah sure, Taks. I disgust you and that’s why you’re inviting me to your ‘small shindig’.”

“I’m only inviting you because Lup would’ve done it anyway.”

“Liar.” Barry voice was sing-song as he laughed, hand moving to tear a portal in the air, “I’ll grab some clothes and be there right away.”

“Good...I’ll be waiting.” Again, there was another weird tone in Taako’s voice, but Barry ignored it.

Getting his clothes was easy, Barry always kept a bag stocked with enough pairs of jeans and jean shirts to stay for the minimum of three weeks away. Small shindig, his ass. Picking up the duffle bag (jean of course), he slung the strap over one shoulder as he tore a portal to Taako and Kravitz’s home. Flicking his hand to at the very least appear normal, Barry stepped through. 

The home looked as it always did, calm and peaceful and picturesque. Taako and Kravitz lived an hour away from Taako’s School Of Wizardry (whatever it was called, Barry couldn’t remember), and had somehow chosen the only place that was in the middle of a meadow.

When he first visited, he couldn’t believe it belonged to Taako the Wizard. It looked almost...mundane from the outside. But it was relaxing, both outside and inside, emanating waves of calmness.

He knocked on the door, rocking on his heels as he waited for the door to be answered. Barry got his answer in a few seconds.

Taako threw open the door, looping his arm around Barry’s neck and dragging him inside, “Barry! Wow, my dude, you weren’t kidding when you said you’d be right over.” Turning them around, he kicked the door shut behind him. 

Barry looked around, noticing that Lucretia, Magnus, Merle, Angus, and Kravitz were here already. “Wow, this party’s gunna be around nine people, are you sure this really is a small shindig?”

“Positive, Jort man,” Taako chuckled, pushing him towards the couches, “I’ll go get you a cup of tea.”

For some reason, when he mentioned tea, Barry noticed that Magnus and Merle’s faces went pale.

As Taako moved towards the kitchen, Magnus moved towards Barry and grabbed him by the arm. He dragging him towards Angus’s bedroom and Merle hopped off of the couch to follow them. 

The door shut with a click and a lock behind them and Magnus took Barry by the shoulders, “Don’t drink the tea Taako’s going to give you.”

“Wh-what?” Barry raised his eyebrow at him, “Taako- Guys what’s going on?”

“Something’s wrong with Taako, like really and truly wrong. Angus, Lucy, and Krav are all under some heavy fucking charm person. Angus was the one who called me and Merle here, but he got got when he confronted Taako about charming Lucy. We’re worried.”

Barry frowned, detaching from Magnus’s hands as he paced around the Boy Detective’s room, “Do we know what his goal in all of this?”

“No, but we think it has something to do with all of the Birds being in one place together.”

“The kid said he had some kinda hypothesis, but he never told us what it was before he got...got.”

“Okay, fuck. Knowing Taako-”

“We don’t know Taako, not like how he is right now.” Magnus scowled, crossing his arms over his chest, “The Taako we know would never charm his family, the Taako we know wouldn’t look that like.”

“Look like what?”

“Didn’t you see it? The black shit on his face?”

“Guys, what black shit?” Barry tilted his head at them.

 

“Shit, he must be using disguise self again.” Magnus cursed, chewing on his bottom lip. 

“Okay so...what do we know right now?” Barry frowned, sitting down in Angus’s chair.

“Okay uhh, Taako recently came back from the dead, something was wrong with his soul, Krav was charmed almost immediately, he seems almost obsessed with getting all seven birds in this house at once, reapers aren’t immune to his charm person so don’t think you’re immune.”

“Damn, wait Taako died?”

“Yeah, something happened with Lup and him, we’re not sure what.”

Barry cast a look towards his stone of far speech, “Lup never told me another like that…”

“She must’ve had a reason to.”

“Well-” Whatever was going to follow up Barry’s words was interrupted by Taako opening the door (didn’t they lock it?).

“So this is where you guys ran off too!” Taako laughed, throwing his arm around Barry’s neck, “Now, how about I get you that cup of tea.”

Barry froze up and tried his best to smile at Taako, “Thanks, but no thanks, Taks.”

“Oh...well then you have to see this weird sciencey thing that showed up in my basement.”

“...Sciencey thing?” Barry asked, turning towards Taako.

“Sciencey thing.” He confirmed, using his grip on Barry’s neck to turn them both around and drag him out of Angus’s room. Casting a look over his shoulder, Taako’s grin sharpened towards his friends, before he made it much more amicable and turned back towards Barry, “I was hoping you’d do some tests on it and try to find out what exactly it is.”

“Oh I’d love to help you out, Taako.” He grinned and easily followed Taako downstairs.

As their shoes sounded against the metal stairs, and as the light from upstairs started getting further and further away, Taako’s grip turned hard and sharp on Barry’s shoulder, “What were you talking about with Merle and Magnus?”

“W-what?” Barry tried to push away from Taako, “We were just catching up.”

“Don’t lie to me, Jort man.” Slowly, Taako’s disguise fell. The dark purple tendrils were now curling around his left eye too, the ooze glowing slightly in the dim light, “What were you talking about?” He seemed to be a lot stronger than before, easily staying close and dragging him down the stairs.

“I told you, we were just catching up.”

Taako’s eyes, poisoned though they were with the purple, glittered in the low light, “Ohhh…” He drawled out, thick with sudden understanding, “They were telling you about me...weren’t they?” He drew his wand from his thigh high boot and purple smoke was cast out of the end of the wand, “What did they say?” 

The smoke curled around Barry’s body, and he felt his words being tugged out of his body. “They told me about how you died and came back weird.” He tried to lift his hands up to cover his traitorous mouth, but Taako kept his hands by his sides, “Magnus and Merle told me how Angus called them here because he was worried about, and how you charmed Lucy, Krav, and Angus. How they don’t know your plan.” The words were painful as they were pulled out of him and he shuddered.

Taako’s lips curled up into a wicked grin. “Huh,” He said, “Guess the old man was right, Zone of Truth really is useful.” Another flick of his wand and the smoke dissipated. “Though, can’t have you running up and decharming them all so...sorry about this. I’ll come get you in a bit.” He pointed his wand at Barry, digging the tip under his chin, “Sleep tight, Bar.” 

Barry felt his vision going black, and the last thing he heard was the sound of a doorbell and hearing Taako say something.

“Oh, she’s here too. Fantastic.”


	9. Chapter 9

When Lup got the call from Taako, she could’ve cried from relief. While she knew that Kravitz could never let Taako die forever, Lup had thought herself into circles about what could’ve gone wrong. Thought about her never hearing from her brother again, him cutting her off because she killed him. Thought about her and her heart’s relationship being irreparable broken like his and Lucretia’s was. But nothing could be wrong when her brother (her twin her heart) sounds so normal and happy, happy to hear her to talk to her.

“Hey, Lu-Lu, almost all of the birds are here. We’re having a little get together shindig and well we can’t really have a Bird Party without all the birds now can we?” He laughed and she laughed with him. He wants her at her house, he wants her over and wants to talk with her. 

“Right, okay. I just gotta finish up this one bounty for RQ and then I’ll be over to you and Kravitz’s, kay?” Lup twirled her scythe in her hand as she cut a portal to her next bounty.

“ ‘Kay. Can’t wait to see you.” The line went dead, leaving Lup with a feeling of unease that didn’t go away. There was a tone underlying his voice that set something off in her. Some genetic feature within her blood that thrummed with warning as she heard his words.

The feeling was still there when she was knocking on Taako’s door two days later, and only increased when the door opened. 

Her brother was there, and he looked...normal. Healthy skin (not pale from death), ears flicked up (not down, not scared he’s not scared of her), and a bright smile. But there was something off with his face, as if everything was slightly to the left of where it should be.

But that’s ridiculous. Ridiculous and she needs to stop doubting her brother. If anything, he should be the one doubting her. She killed him, she hurt him so badly. Lup should definitely be grateful-

There was a thrumming in her blood again, a pulse of warning, of screaming in her ears that something was so very wrong.

Lup’s lips twisted as she pushed the pulse away, this was her brother after all. “Hey, Koko.” She opened her arms to embrace him in a hug.

He grinned at her, bright and perfect (wrong wrong wrong wrong), “Hey Lulu.” Taako moved forwards, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her close to his chest.

Over his shoulder, Lup looked into his house and more of the warning thrummed within her. Sitting inside, were two groups of people.

On one couch were Lucretia, Kravitz, and Angus. Each holding a cup of some tea who’s smell made her ears draw back in some primal instinct that tells her when things are so very very wrong. They were making small talk between each other, every so often trying to attract the others on the other couch to join them.

On the other couch, looking decidedly very uncomfortable, were Magnus and Merle. They didn’t hold tea cups, and didn’t really interact with anyone on the other couch. For this reason (no tea no wrongness), Lup decided to sit with them. They made room for her in the middle of them and she sat down.

Taako didn’t seem to notice the atmosphere, and merely clapped his hands together, “Fantastic, almost all the birds are here! Just one more to go!”

Lup looked around, and furrowed her brow, “We’re down two, Koko. Where’s Barry?”

“Yeah, Taako,” Magnus’s gruff voice held an edge to it, “Where’s Barry?”

With a flick of his hand, Taako dismissed them and took a seat in his chair, “Oh, he’s downstairs looking at some books Krav brought back from one of his bounties.”

“When you were talking to him, you said that it was a sciencey thing.” Magnus’s grip tightened on the arm of the sofa that they were sitting on.

“Right..right. They’re books on science, and they’re in a language Krav here can’t read, so I decided to let him try his hand at it. He’s probably...sucked into his work right now, but whatever. I’ll go get Jort man whenever Davenport gets here.”

“Why don’t you go get him now so his lover can talk to him?”

Lup scowled, and elbowed Magnus. Even with the wrongness that looking at Taako gives her, Lup felt tired of hearing Magnus needled her twin, “Calm down, Mags, I know Barry. If you rip him away from his work when he’s neck deep in it, he’ll be distracted all night.”

“Thank you, Lulu.” Taako grinned, and Lup had to avert her eyes from his face.

“Yeah, no problem, Koko.” Lup grinned, though it was weak.

Taako didn’t seem to notice as he reached for the teapot and a teacup, “Would you like a cup of tea?”

“No!” Lup shouted, her ears drawing back. A flush rose to her cheeks as she realized how weird she must’ve looked, “I mean, no. I’m fine right now, thanks for offering.” Gripping Magnus’s bicep (her hand couldn’t even go all the way around it), she tugged at him, “Hey, Mags, can I talk with you...in private?”

Magnus met her gaze and gave her a very slight nod, “Of course, I know just the place.” Rising to his feet, Magnus led her to Angus’s room.

Lup shut the door behind them, flicking her wrist to lock it, “What has happened to my brother?”

Magnus scratched at the back of his neck, “We don’t...know, exactly. The kid had a theory-”

“Angus? Which reminds me, what’s wrong with Lucy, Krav, and Ango?”

“Taako charmed them, we’re almost positive. I’m not sure how much you could see, but for Merle and I? Their eyes are tinted purple: Krav’s entire iris and pupil are solid purple and we think that’s because he’s been charmed the longest, Lucy’s, uhh, the white parts of her eyes are purple, and she got got last night. The kid’s...the kid’s the same as Lucy.” He sighed, dropping down onto Angus’s bed and making it groan with the unfamiliar weight.

“Taako...charmed them? Why would he do that?”

“We don’t know, but there’s some sort of corruption that’s been overtaking him since he came back to life.”

Lup’s face paled, and she gasped, covering her mouth with a hand, “Since he came back to life? That was almost a week ago, Burnsides!” The ends of her hair began to light up in her fury, “Why didn’t you tell me the second you knew.” She rushed forwards, grapping him by the collar of his shirt.

 

Magnus’s eyes went wide and he raised his hands in surrender, “Angus told us not to!”

“And you took the advice of a child?” Her elvish form was slowly losing it’s composure, and Magnus could see brief flashes of her skull.

“Yeah! We trust him! Look-” Magnus gently took Lup’s hands off of his collar, “We need to be objective about this.”

“Objective about what? About the fact that I could’ve seriously fucked up my own brother?”

“Lup don’t blame yourself. See, this is why we didn’t call you!” Magnus sighed, and was silent for a few moments as he reassembled his thoughts, “We need to be objective on how to save him…and what we’re saving him from.”

“You don’t even know?”

“I told you! The kid had a theory and he got got before he could tell us.”

Lup paced in the small child’s bedroom (small not only in the sense that it belongs to a tiny child, but because the poster lined wall and galaxy painted ceiling felt like they were boxing Lup in), ears downturned as she wrung her hands, “Shit...shit.” Her eyes were wide, small flames flickered in her irises as she kept pacing. Her paces got smaller and smaller until she was barely taking a step before turning. Her chest began to heave, pupils growing smaller as her ears raised only to flatten against her head.

“Lup.” Magnus’s voice was soft, but it was enough to startle Lup out of the spiral that she worked herself in. She looked up, eyes still wide. Lup’s teeth were still half bared in a snarl with her ears flat against the sides of her head, but some of the fire went out of her eyes, and Magnus took that as a cue to continue, “Lup, we’re going to save him. He’s Taako from TV!” 

The nickname, familiar and not at the same time, drew a laugh from her. Muted and subdued though it was, he found it was another small victory. It was all about small victories with her, he had found over their century-long road trip through the planar system. A twist of the lip here, maybe a snort there, but there were always cues for him to continue, and cues for him to stop.

“He’s Taako, and he’s your brother, and my best friend...and whatever Merle thinks of him. And we’re not going to fucking abandon him.”

Lup’s grin turned slightly more forceful, slightly more wide, “You’re goddamn right, Mags. You’re goddamn right.” With that, she turned around. Her red cloak whirled around her, the very edges of it caught fire, and Magnus knew the cue. So he stopped.

When she entered the living room, the only cue she gave Merle that she was in on the truth was a glance out of the corner of her eye. This was completely disregarded by the way that Lup took her brother by the arm and said, “Hey, Koko. Can I talk to you in the kitchen for a quick second?”

He grinned, and nodded, pretending not to notice the flinch as he touched his twin’s elbow to lead her into the kitchen.

The last thing that the birds saw (the birds conscious enough to see it for real) was the flash of Lup’s red cloak and how she gripped the handle of her wand. Merle and Magnus shared a worried look, this wouldn’t end well.


	10. Chapter 10

As the door swung shut behind them, Taako’s reaction was instant. A flick of his wand casted both Silence and locked the door, Lup was cut off from the other Birds, but she could roll with that. It was her brother, how much could she have to fear? “What’s up, Lup?”

“I called you in here to talk, and you locked the door. Why?” Lup tried to act like she had the upper hand, tried to intimidate. But she was never good at that with her twin (she never knew she _needed_ to be good at intimidating Taako. Now her blood was screaming for a different reason).

“Don’t play dumb, Lulu. We both know that you know what’s wrong.” A slight sneer (it looked conflicted, Taako was conflicted and Lup could use that. _Why did she have to think about using her brother’s emotions against him_ ) flicked across his face, “Magnus and Merle are trying to ruin everything.”

“What’s everything?” Lup’s voice was soft, almost quiet (she didn’t have to be loud no one would hear her anyway).

A showman’s grin (drop the act, Koko, she’s not in your audience) spread it’s way across Taako’s face (wrong wrong wrong she was always allowed to be vulnerable with him and he with her he shouldn’t have an act on) as he gestured to the kitchen table, “Let’s sit and talk. Tea?” 

It was a fake offer (why was he being so fake around her), and Lup didn’t bother answering as she took a seat at his table. In a practiced move, she leaned back in her chair, kicking her boots up on the table.

A tut of his tongue and Taako pushed her feet off of his table, “Don’t be rude, Lulu.”

“Don’t call me Lulu.” The words were out of her mouth before she realized that this was still Taako, still her twin and her heart and her companion.

It was a few seconds (was he figuring out how to react?) before the hurt flickered across Taako’s face.

She forced herself to be convinced that it was an act, that she didn’t actually hurt her twin brother. “What’s everything.” She redirected the conversation, desperate to ignore the fact that while her brother won’t be soft with her he can still be hurt by her.

A showman’s smile and a showman’s gesture as Taako spread his arms wide, “This...is everything.” His eyes shone with light (almost blinding and Lup had to look to the left of his face to stayed focused), and he paced in front of the table, “Lulu, how long were we separated?”

“Ten years, two hundred and seven days, four hours, and seven minutes.” The answer was immediate, the number branded into her brain. Years and years of loneliness in an umbrella and unable to think. She hated that fucking thing, that prison of black curtains and unending silence and boredom. Hated the panic and pure animalistic fear of 

“Exactly,” His eyes (while unnatural and bright) softened, as if he pitied her (wrong wrong wrong Taako never pitied her, not in this condescending way), “I don’t want to lose anyone else. Never again.” There was an ounce of steel in his voice and Lup remembered his decade of loneliness. “I’m never going to be alone again and neither will any of us.” He turned his head from her, beginning to pace again.

“What….what are you doing?” Lup almost didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to face the truth that was slowing creeping upon her. 

Taako fixed her with a glance (not a glare he’d never glare at her and for once Lup feels relief), “I know you know, Lup, I know you aren’t stupid.” He let his disguise self fall (it wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling, whenever her brother dropped his Disguise Self fall she knew), and Lup had to restrain herself from physically cringing away.

Her brother looked...normal, but not. His features and body were average like they were after Wonderland, and if she focused on everything seperate it was like they were having another 2 am talk. But when she looks at his face, Lup was looking the truth in the face.

“You’re a relic.” The words were barely audible, fueled by the memories of cities turned to black glass, a city stuck in time, two lovers temporarily stuck in time, two liches laughing over the sound of a chiming bell. 

Taako’s face split into a wide grin, the tendrils shifting across his face as they curled around all of his features. His eyes weren’t his own now, no soft brown that she’s seen reflected in the mirror before her. They were black with flickers of light that reminded her from the storm that she escaped again and again for a century. “Oh, Lup. I’m so, so much more than just a relic.” A glow filled him from within. Cracks in his skin were filled in with molten gold and light glowed from behind his eyes and his mouth like he was a hollowed out pumpkin for some childish holiday.

Hollow, that was the best word for him. A facsimile of her brother with none of what made Taako from TV. Empty charm that still captivated a room, but that’s all it did: captivate. He didn’t impress or wow or amaze, he captivated. And he seemed content to merely have them captivated. There was no mission with him, and she didn’t understand why...yet.

“You’re the…” Lup’s voice trailed off, unable to call her brother that. Unable to say that he was the Hunger, playing into the childish thought that if she didn’t say it out loud it would go away. The word that was plagued with resetting to the same form for one hundred years until they didn’t anymore.

“Hunger.” Taako finished her sentence (he had done this many times, classic twin stuff but this was the one time Lup wished he let it disappear into silence).

“How did this happen?” She asked, unable to stop the need to know. A masochistic need for her to know everything that happened to her brother in all it’s gorey details no matter how much she wanted to cover her ears with her hands and babble to drown his words out with meaningless noise. But she didn’t, her hands tightened on the arms of the chair until her knuckles turned white.

“You know how I got the last hit on ole Johnny boy?” Taako’s voice had the same familiar lilt, but Lup hated it all the same. He didn’t wait for her to nod or give any confirmation, “Well, I got one of his bonds. Connected from John to Merle than to me. And it latched on, desperate for something to keep it alive and stewed in me for the past two years.” And he laughed slightly (laughed like it was funny that he had a great ancient evil in him), “And then...you killed me.”

Lup felt ice water sink into her blood, this was her fault. Her brother would still be alive, still be unharmed (liar liar he would’ve been like this anyway). She killed him and he was corrupted. She remembers the feeling of it all. Of her body shambling towards him like she wasn’t his sister (his sister) and the feeling of her scythe sinking into him.

A wave of his hand (casual like the last time they saw each other she didn’t kill him. Casual like she apologized for something she didn’t need to) and he dismissed her (he doesn’t dismiss her, he’s her twin he’s supposed to listen to her and not act like one of their “caretakers”), “It’s fine, I’m happy you did it.” He grinned a jack-o-lantern grin, “Turns out one of those pretty little bits of the Light of Creation got stuck between planes when Jeffandrew tried to remove it all. If I died in the normal way, I would’ve stewed in that Soul Soup for eternity until I became the actual Hunger. But since you killed me, you got my lovely Angel of Death to bring me back, with two more extra things inside of me. And I can do what I’ve always needed to do on this plane with all of you.”

“What…” Lup swallowed, trying to wet her dry throat, “What do you need to do.”

There was a sort of frenzy that entered his eyes, a shining light that sent thrums of wrong through her veins, “I need to keep all of you safe.”

“What do you mean?” Lup was struck with the memory of a dragon she had fought, so protective of it’s hoard that it turned violent. Too protective and possessive that it turned blind towards anything that was needed.

“You see, it’s simple, Lulu.” He turned from her, his pace faster and more erratic as he gestured wildly, “If you all stay here with me, you’ll be safe! You and Barry’ll never have to go ghost again, Magnus’ll never lose anyone he loves again, Davenport will never lose what he lost again, even Lucretia-” There was a slight hiss to her name, “-will never lose her family again. Everyone can be happy, everyone can be safe.”

Lup decided to handle this like she handled the dragon, and attempted to appeal to his possessive nature, “Davenport will never be happy trapped in a home, and Magnus has his dog training zone.”

“Hmm, fair point. I’ll just give him a charm to keep an eye on him.” Taako shrugged, all ease and carelessness thought through. “Magnus...Magnus can stay. I’ll bring his dogs over and get him a house very close by and he’ll be happy here.”

“Koko, you can’t honestly think that anyone here would be happy being stuck here!” Now, now Lup stood up, fire raging in her eyes. There was a pang of wrongness chiming in her heart and she realized that the wrongness was him. The wrongness was her brother.

“I’ll make them happy,” Fire, equal and identical to her own, blossomed in his eyes, “Lulu, come _on_!” He shouted at her (he never shouted like this at her, never with this annoyance and vitriol in his voice), slamming his fist (knuckles down) on the table. Cracks of the same golden light that was shining from inside of him shot out from his fist into the wood.

“Magnus is going to kill you for that.” Lup’s voice is soft, as if this was a goof that had gone too far (if this was a goof, it was weeks past too far, seconds past too far). As if he wasn’t just talking about how he’d keep them trapped and complacent. As if he had accidentally set a table Magnus carved on fire when they played with their magic.

A grin tore itself through his lips and he laughed, unclenching the fist and pressing his palm against the wood. Near instantaneously, the cracks of light (Light?) reacted to his touch, and shot back towards his hand. The wood sealed back up as if it had never been cracked and the light was buzzing in her twin’s hand, “No...no he won’t.”

“He’ll know about it.”

“Why? You’re going to tell him?” Taako tilted his head at her, arching one of his eyebrows at her, “You’re going to tell him and Merle all about my plan to keep them safe-”

“-keep them captive you mean.” Lup interuppted, eyes flashing. 

“Keep them safe.” Taako repeated, hard steel entering his tone. “So come on, tell me. Tell me that you’re going to betray your twin’s trust and spill all my secrets.” 

Lup turned around, hands clenched to fists at her sides. Her face was drawn and hidden from him, “I’m doing this for you, Koko, you’ll thank me when this is over.”

“I’m doing this for you too.” The words were spoken a lot closer than they should’ve been as Lup felt a slash of stinging cold across her back.

Her eyes went wide as she stumbled back into the arms of her brother. Lup tilted her head up, eyes filled with memories of a similar stinging pain sometime and someplace else. The feeling of deft hands catching her arms mixed with the memory of deft hands snatching her gauntlet from her. But instead of being met with unfeeling gray stone walls, Lup was met with the unfeeling black eyes of her twin brother.

“Don’t worry, Lulu. I remember you this time, you’ll be out once I figured out how to keep you safe too.” His words swam, fuzzing at the edges as her senses faded from her.

A lich form erupted from the crumbled body of the elf, and as she turned around (phantasmal and resplendent), she was met with the tip of a very familiar umbrella.

Already, Taako’s form was shifting, but not shifting back. It shifted and shifted, and adjusted itself until Lup saw herself holding her own body. Until she saw her own body (face, hair, features Taako was are you doing) pointing her weapon at her and smiling.

“It’s a good thing we already look so alike.” The words were spoken in an exact replica of her voice as Lup felt her ghostly form begin to get sucked into the Umbra Staff for the second time on Faerun. 

 

When Lup didn’t come out from the silent kitchen, Magnus and Merle flashed each other worried looks. As he stood to confront Taako (he might not win, but at least Lup won’t be alone), the kitchen door swung open and Lup exited.

She flashed him a dazzling smile, and flicked her hand, “My brother doesn’t want to be disturbed in the kitchen and he told me to tell you all that if you interrupt him, he’ll hit you with the KrEbStAr.” Lup laughed and Magnus stepped back (or, stepped back as much as could without falling onto the couch) as he noticed an umbrella swinging from her belt, “Now, I gotta go figure out what Mr-” There was a slip, a tiny one, but a noticeable enough for Magnus to know something had gone wrong. “-what babe’s doing in the basement.” With a flutter of her fingers, Lup moved towards the basement and shut the door behind her with a jarring slam.

When the door closed, Magnus picked Merle up (much to the latter’s distaste). He hauled him into Angus’s bedroom and slammed the door behind them, “That’s not Lup, Merle.”


	11. Chapter 11

Taako pushed the Umbra Staff into one of the five unoccupied capsules in his basement. A slight frown tugged at his lips as he stepped back, looking at his progress. Set up in a semicircle against the back wall of the circular room, there were six ten-foot tall cylinders.

On the left most cylinder, there was Barry. The green transparent slime encasing him glowed slightly at it healed the cut on his forehead from where Taako had hit him to knock him out. His red robes were stored underneath the capsule to avoid dragging his limp body down. Left in his muscle shirt and blue jeans, Barry certainly didn’t look like anyone who could ruin all of his plans, but Taako was well aware of the dangers of letting him out before his time.

Next to him, was his girlfriend...or at least her soul. Taako had cast invisibility on the body and he lugged it down to the basement. Now it sat, vacant in a chair. There was no point in having to calibrate another body to a sun elves specific needs when he didn’t need to. Stuck in the capsule of slime was his Umbra Staff, holding his sister’s soul.

Dragging his fingers down the cold glass of the capsule, Taako let his breath fog up a part of the glass, “I’m sorry, Lulu, for putting you back in there.” He hadn’t tested if Lup could still hear him in the Umbrella from within the capsule, but it made him feel better to act like she could, “I’ll let you out soon, I promise! I just...you were threatening to ruin everything I’ve done for all of us, and I couldn’t let that happen. I fixed your body up though! So once everything is better, you can go right back into it.” His frown slowly faded and a smile appeared, “Hopefully the others don’t have to get put next to you...hopefully after dinner everything will be fine.”

A look was cast to the empty ones, one for each of the Birds beside him. Just temporary holding areas until he could make sure none of them would ever be in danger and leave him.

Turning his back on the capsules, Taako flicked his hand, and rot spread out from the motion. Eating away at the empty space to form a portal for him to step through to the kitchen. Another flick and the portal closed.

Plastering his best smile on his face, Taako checked the stove and then made his slow way to the living room, “Dinner’ll be ready in a bit!” A soft laugh and he moved to sit down next to Kravitz.

Lacing their hands together, Taako leaned in to whisper in his ear, “Follow me to the bedroom.” Then got up, borderline dragging Kravitz to the bedroom. Kicking the door shut behind him, Taako gently pushed Kravitz to the bed and cast Silence, “I haven’t got you alone to myself all day, babe.”

Kravitz was silent, though there was a bit of a bemused smile stuck on his face. Almost mechanically, his hands raised up to gently squeeze Taako’s hips. 

Taako smiled, though it was less vibrant than before. This was something he was missing, the perfect Kravitz.

Since the charm spell had been cast, it was easy with him. Easy because Krav didn’t bother to question and barely spoke unless he was spoken to. No arguments, and something in Taako called for him to be glad for having such an agreeable fiance. The main voice called for him to ignore it, and go about making everyone else as happy as he was.

The only disagreement came from a small, nagging voice in the back of his mind. It screamed and screamed but never loud enough for Taako to really hear what it was saying.

So he convinced himself he was happy (it wasn’t that hard). (It was hard, it was hard to act like everything was fine when his fiancé was acting like that). He convinced himself he was happy. 

Kravitz hummed and leaned up to kiss at Taako's neck, "What did you want to talk about, dearest?"

Even his voice was wrong wrong wrong. Too quiet and demure and not at all like it should be. Taako knew that he was disgusted, somewhere at least. The screaming got louder, and he could almost make out what it was saying. Almost could hear what was troubling something inside of him. 

Taako raised a hand to his temple, grimacing as a headache began to form. The tendrils crawling across his face pulsed in time with his pounding head and began to glow with unnatural light that wasn't supposed to be there. Slowly (as the tendrils began to crawl down his neck), his breathing steadied back out.

He had his family, he almost had all of them safe. He was doing what he had to do and this is what he was needed for. He was needed and it felt perfect and right. 

Kravitz hadn't seemed to notice the tendrils creeping down his lover's neck as he kissed it. If Taako tried to think about it (something he didn't really enjoy doing), Kravitz hadn't really seemed to notice anything these past few days. 

"Dearest?" It was only when he spoke again (in that wrong wrong wrong voice), that Taako remembered that he was getting asked a question.

"Oh, right." He blinked for a few seconds, trying to recall something that wasn't the steady rhythm of his heart calling for him to be needed and wanted.

"I asked why you had called me in here." There was an endless patience to him now, something that Taako both loved and hated. He loved how perfect Kravitz thought he was, and how much he adored him. He hated how much he needed him (he loved it, didn't he?), hated how silent he was when he was not talked to. 

"Oh!" Taako sighed, looping his arms around Kravitz's neck and leaning into him, "I just wanted us to get some time alone." As Kravitz's hands moved to unbutton his top, Taako raised his hand to stop him, "Not that much time dearest, we don't want the food going cold."

His hands dropped to his lap, barely curling up and laying there, "Oh, okay." And there was silence that filled the room.

Taako opened his mouth, trying to say something that could potentially help. His fingertips began to glow a soft gold as he traced nonsensical designs across Kravitz's shoulders. The glow carried up to his arms and then engulfed his torso. Anywhere the tendrils of dark purple had gone, the glow ignored.

Leaning forward, he kissed Kravitz deeply, shoving down the screaming voice that was wrong wrong wrong. It was getting easier and easier and Taako was relived for that (was he?). The glow (not the glow, glow implies something bright and this was anything but) carried through his lips to Kravitz's.

He kissed back (why did Taako expect him to not?), tilting his head sweetly into the kiss. It was easy to kiss him, and during kissing neither of them were expected to talk, so it was nice, and easy. Taako enjoyed easy things, it was nice to just have things be easy.

Withdrawing from the kiss, Taako dropped his hand from Kravitz's shoulder to hold his hand. His thumb rubbed back and forth across the golden engagement ring that was on his left ring finger, "After this...once everyone's safe and good. Then...after everything's fine, then we'll get married, okay?"

Even before Kravitz opened his mouth, Taako knew the answer, "Of course, I love you and I would wait as long as needed." A smile that Taako was slowly getting more used to. Not shy or unexpected like before (Taako had begun referring to pre-death as before), but soft and shining and it was just another perfect facet to him.

Deep inside, Taako knew that no one should be perfect. But that voice (quietly screaming though it was) was getting easier and easier to ignore (especially when combined with the two much louder voices commanding him). So he did, and everything was perfect. 

A chiming bell went off and Taako turned his head toward's the door, "Oh. It's dinnertime!" A wide smile grew across his face and the screaming voice was silent, "Come on, Kravitz. I made one of your favorites."

A soft laugh (wrong wrong wrong) came from Kravitz as he got up, dislodging Taako from his lap, "You say that as if anything you cook isn't my favorite."

Taako beamed at him, and it was almost real, "Oh, babe, you always know just what to say." Now he just has to convince himself that Kravitz meant those words.

Slipping his hand into his, Taako squeezed his hand before tugging him towards the door and dispelling the Silence with his free one. Pushing the door open, Taako flashed another winning smile towards the Birds (and Angus) in the living room, "Time to eat!"


	12. Chapter 12

Magnus and Merle shared a look as they were shepherded into Taako’s kitchen and pushed down into seats that were too small for one and too big for the other. Lucretia seemed like she would go for the head of the table, but paused mid movement, and pivoted to take the seat next to Magnus.

Offering up a shaky smile (and truly unsure what to do with the charmed Director), Magnus nodded slightly as he fiddled with his silverware. Glancing between the table and the rest of them, he noted how Angus’s nervous fiddling was gone, and Kravitz’s smooth gliding was interrupted by consistent glances to where Taako was by the stove. 

He drummed his fingers on the tabletop, trying to add some noise into the silence, but the sound was muffled by the tablecloth. So he chose another option, speaking. "So, Taako what did you make for us today?"

"Why, Burnsides! You say that like I only made one thing!" Taako grinned, and turned around. Yet again, there was something different about him. The tendrils of darkness had faded slightly, sunk deeper into his skin while another feature was added. Cracks of light shown from everywhere there was a natural wrinkle of skin. Shining, bright light that Magnus hasn't seen anything like since...no. That would be impossible. Jeffandrew took the Light back, it has no business inhabiting one of his longest held friends. 

The black tentacles were a familiar worry, something that had plague his nightmares for years and then not for a decade, and then again for these past years and stretching as far as Magnus could see it happy. There was something easy about facing the tendrils, though that didn't mean that the truth was as easy to face.

Magnus just hoped he'd be able to tell Merle. 

As a pot was set down in front of him slightly less than gentle, Magnus was stirred out of his thoughts (a rare happenstance for him). Leaning forward, he took a big inhale and almost forgot about the troubles plaguing his family for the second time. It was his favorite stew, something that Taako had made every single cycle that ended hard for him. 

The smell brought back memories and almost tears to his eyes, but a glance up at the light cracking around his friend's eyes and the tears dried up. Smiling (how much of it was truthful, he couldn't really tell) up at his friend, "Hey! You remembered, thanks buddy!"

The glow seemed to shine brighter from the wrinkles and Taako beamed at him, "Of course I did! What kind of friend would I be if I didn't have all my friend's favorite dishes memorized after one hundred years cooking them!" And he laughed and with the laugh and the smell Magnus could almost convince himself that it was real. That he could eat the food and laugh with his friends.

But two of those friends weren't here right now, and Magnus felt the need to take a page out of Angus's book and go play detective.

His smile hardened slightly, just as the memories of the circumstances came back to him, and he let his silverware lay where they were on the table. He wasn't going to touch them or he might find himself unconsciously lifting the delicious soup to his lips and drinking down Taako's poison, or whatever he put in this stew. 

Merle almost jumped out of his seat at the sound of a plate clattering down in front of him, laden with his favorite pork and pine nuts.

Taako's grin was as wide as it had ever been, and if he looked closely, he could see shining from inside of his mouth, "You still like this dish right? I remember it used to be your favorite since I made it on one of the early cycles."

Merle nodded, a shallow movement as his hands shook. Not from age (though no one could be surprised if it was), but from fear. He knew that Taako always took it as a personal insult when people didn't eat his food (and if he really thought about it he'd go deeper into the well of trust issues that the elf had), and he didn't really want to find out how this version of his friend reacts to such a slight. 

So he smiled and made to cut his pork up, "Course it's still my favorite. It's good, and you can't improve on good."

Taako grinned, still hovering over Merle, "Why don't you eat some of it?"

"W-well I'm sure it's hot, so I probably shouldn't risk burning my mouth."

"Nonsense!" Taako flicked his hand to dismiss his doubts, "I waited it so that we could all eat at the same time, so take a bite." His eyes flicked over to Magnus, "You too, Mags!"

Magnus froze up, fingers twitching as he resisted the urge to grab the pendent that Lucretia had gave him. His gaze darted over to where Lucretia, Angus, and Kravitz were left without any food and he gestured over to them, "Taaks! You're being rude to them! Give them food, and then we can all eat together, like we used to. On the Starblaster, but this time without Dav, and with Krav and Ango instead of...." He furrowed his eyebrows, and looked up at Taako, "Taaks?"

"Yes, Magnus?" There was a soft hum to his voice, a little buzz that tried to worm its way into his ear but stopped halfway.

"Where are Lup and Barry?"

The question made Taako freeze for a second, like he didn't have a reply scripted. His fingers twitched and so did his smile, before he fell back into his practiced routine, smiling broadly, "Oh! They wanted to work more on that thing down in the basement, so I told them I'd bring them their dinner down to them so they didn't have to stop working."

"Isn't that...kind of you." The words tasted like ash in his mouth, and he raised his hand as inconspicuously as he could to activate the charm. His leg hooked around Merle's chair and dragged it closer to see if the reach of the charm could protect two.

"Yes, it is..isn't it." There were two tones in Taako's voice, almost identical, but different in enough details that it grated on Magnus's ears. He turned around, and Magnus caught a glimpse of the cracks of light continuing down his neck. 

His showman's smile was full force like it had never left, and he kissed the side of Kravitz's head as he placed a rather delicious looking steak and potatoes in front of him, "Here you go dear, I made it just for you."

Kravitz grinned and kissed Taako back, but stayed silent. Weird, Magnus is pretty sure he's barely said a word this entire time other than short one or two sentences when he had to.

He didn't bother noticing what Lucretia and Angus had, much too focused on his own stew in front of him. He took a bite, and felt nothing, then another bite, and felt more nothing. Magnus kept eating (maybe he didn't resist that part of the compulsion) until the entire bowl was done. 

Next to him, Merle tentatively took a bite of his own food. The second he realized that he wasn't in danger of being in Thrall (thrall? Would that be a better word for the charms that Taako's been using?), Merle ate the entire plate.

The others already under his compulsion (Thrall?) ate normally, and Taako looked at both of them. As if waiting for them to fall to the compulsion. Magnus smiled (not a normal toothy smile, this was lips tight against teeth, a slight tilt of his head that was a bit too cruel) and raised out of his seat, "I...I'm going to go lay down, I'm feeling kinda tired." And with that, he turned on his heel and exited the kitchen.

He lied, Magnus lied to one of his best friend's (Was that even his best friend anymore? Magnus really needed to know more about what was wrong before he gave that an answer). But it was necessary, right? Either way, Magnus pushed the door to the basement open and moved down the spiral stairs as quietly as a barbarian/rouge could.

The constant checking behind and up of him distracted him until his foot his flat stone and he turned around. And saw exactly what was going on in the basement. It certainly wasn't science, or at least, Barry and Lup weren't doing the science as much as it was being done to them.

His eyes zeroed in on the innocuous looking umbrella in the second to the left capsule. He wouldn't've, Taako would not have done that to his sister. Maybe he really wasn't his best friend.

Just as Magnus took a step forward to try and figure out a way to get them out of their cages, he felt something poking into his back. He also heard a voice, one that was very familiar, "Sir, I don't want to have to do this, but if you push me, I will knock you out!"


	13. Chapter 13

Taako laid in his solitude, content to stew for the night. In reality, he laid in his bed, the lights (along with his shirt and pants) off. Kravitz asleep next to him, the two having retired for an early night, and the others under his control had also gone to bed. He had no idea where Magnus and Angus had gone off to, but he didn't worry.

Magnus would never hurt Angus, Taako was sure of this. Sure that his friend (could he be counted a friend? Was Taako truly anyone's friend anymore) would never hurt a child. So he was left alone with his thoughts, with all three of his thoughts. 

[i]Get them back, get them all back and make them look upon you[/i], one voice whispered to him. It was a high, hissing voice that drove into his mind and invaded anything it could. It was the most perfect third of him, bright and glowing that forced his skin to crack into glowing splinters. Perfect abstracted into splinters that cut into him and embedded into his face. Perfect in the form of a bubble forming inside of him and the pressure caused making him choke on his words. Perfect in the abstract, the only perfect part of him. A perfect that destroyed and took and thralled with only it’s own interests at heart. Selfish and self-absorbed, it almost sounded like him.

Taako knew where that part came from, that he was made out of the Light that he put into a stone that destroyed a lab and his friend's(?) arm. The Light that destroyed town after town under his sister's gauntlet (the sister that he had trapped inside of an Umbrella that she hated). The Light that had ripped apart two lovers and forced them to retreat inside of a tree and become dryads. The Light that made Lucretia hid away on her gods-forsaken moon base for protection. The Light was Perfect, and it needed to be recognized as such, but it was sinister nonetheless.

There was another voice, this one lower. Rumbling and consistent. like the front of a storm oncoming. It was louder than the Light, but less insidious. The Light masqueraded as if it was his own voice (his own mental thought process, but not), but the Hunger...the Hunger was easy to notice. It was violent, and intrusive. It was horrible and made him want to claw his eardrums out, but it was better than the Light.

The Hunger was constantly hungry, constantly wanting to consume something whether it be food or power (Taako thinks back to when his sister described what being in the Umbra Staff was like), but it was a thrum in his blood that screamed for him to take everything.

(There were violent thoughts too, thoughts of gore and blood that he had to shove down. If Taako exists at the eye of a hurricane, then those thoughts are when the whirlwind rips at him. Thoughts that brought up his seven times of dying to the Hunger and its destruction. Of arguments over saving corrupt worlds and innocent lives)

The Hunger and the Light agree on one thing though, the need for attention. The Light fed off of being the center of attention, having all eyes on him. The Hunger fed off consuming time and attention (Taako knew that if he let that side of him go he’d force everyone to stare at him until they died and he was left).

Shifting up in bed, Taako blinked his eyes on purpose. Getting out of bed, he grimaced as his joints cracked. Padding over, he sat himself in front of the mirror and stared himself(?) in the face for the first time since he died.

Abstractly, Taako knew he looked the same (or at least similar). The Disguise Self had dropped (he always dropped it in the bedroom), and Taako wasn’t vain enough to dislike how he looked. It wasn’t...as vibrant as he was before, but he was still pretty. Still captivating even without the Light that shone through him in all things.

But when he focused on his face, really focused, that’s when things got less and less certain. Dark purple covered his face, dripping down his neck and covering down to his shoulders. Within that darkness, cracks erupted in his skin. Thin crevices in his skin shone brilliant golden, constantly basking him in light. His eyes were flat silver orbs set into his face, no depth or variance. It was an odd constant that he clung to.

Taako raised his hand up and gently traced his fingertips over the crevices, feeling the rough break of the skin and the warmth emitted. Slowly, the hand fell to the drips of purple and traced over the curves and dips of the goop. In the dark of his room, Taako shivered at the feeling of his still warm hands touching the cool purple skin.

It was creeping further down his body, slowly but surely, and even in his conflicted and split state, there was a dread of what would become of him when his entire body went purple.

Of course, there was also the tentacles. Easily hidden by a spell slot wasted, they were visible in the light shining from him now, in the darkness of his room. They curled around him loosely, curling around his hips and his neck and his arms. They felt intangible, but he could feel the pressure from them laying on him.

He shut his eyes, shoulders slumping in the reflection, and he let himself meditate (dreams bad dreams painful don’t dream don’t dream don’t dream).

(break)

Downstairs, another elf was in a similar kind of isolation.

When Lup regained enough of her senses to tell where she was, she screamed until her voice cracked and it devolved into sobbing. She hugged herself, hiccuping as the sobs faded away. Her own brother...put her back in this fucking Staff.

Slowly, her body (or a construct of such) was stable enough so she could tear at the curtains hanging up around her. A sick sense of deja vu flooded through her as she remembered doing this same thing, a decade ago.

Her breathing quickened as she tried to extend her senses beyond the umbrella, and almost fell to her knees at the oppressive force shoving back at her. Lup’s hands ran through her hair and she bit down hard on her bottom lip.

Hard enough to taste blood (there wasn’t any to be tasted she was a construct), and she kept biting because the pain meant she still had senses.

Her nails bit into her palms, hard enough to draw blood. (There wasn’t, this body was fake). She kept her hands in fists because the pain meant she had a body to feel it with.

In the familiar silence of the Umbra Staff, Lup thought again (again again again was this real or a memory) of her family. 

She thought of Barry, missing and gone and she lost track of him.

She thought of Lucretia, charmed and drinking tea that was wrong.

She thought of Merle and Magnus, fighting against one they considered their brother, and who was her twin.

Mostly, Lup’s thoughts were occupied with Taako. 

In the darkness of her curtained ‘room’, Lup curled up and felt her consciousness drift away from her.


	14. Chapter 14

Magnus grunted at the feeling of Angus's wand pointing into his back, and he sighed, "Ango...you're not in your right mind, so just know, I still love you and this is for your own good."

"Sir what are you-" The rest of Angus's sentence was cut off was Magnus turned around, swinging with only 0.002% of his strength to just knock the boy out without really injuring him. The boy crumpled to his feet and Magnus cursed as he picked up the limp body. 

Setting him right next to Lup's body, Magnus forced himself to not focus at all on the limp (not limp like Ango, he didn't kill Ango, he didn't kill him) body next to another limp body. One of those limp bodies he was to blame with (not the dead one Angus isn't dead he kept his strength in check he didn't kill Ango). Backing away, he stashed Angus's wand high above where the twerp could reach. 

Magnus backed away further, sending a glance backwards at the two limp bodies. He knew where he had to go...he just really hoped that Avi was still up on the moon base. It was time to find out where Lucretia was keeping the remaining relics.

 

As the metal ball landed on the ground, Magnus felt a distinct sense of wrongness. It was wrong that he was walking into the globe alone, it was wrong that he didn't have the other Dos Horny Boys with him. He strapped himself in, sparing only a single glance at the empty seats next to him as the machine lifted off and sped towards the moon.

The landing was slightly rockier than he enjoyed (especially considering most of the other times that he's flown he was drunk on something), but the pod opened eventually. The Bureau of...Benevolence looked almost the same as the Bureau of Balance...around as much as the original BoB looked like the IPRE campus. 

Nodding slightly at Avi, Magnus continued on his way. There was a dual element of nostalgia, walking through the well kept grounds of the Base. 

The more recent nostalgia of being a Reclaimer, of not remembering Tosun, of tracking down the Relics that he didn't remember helping create. The nostalgia of looking up and seeing a sky full of eyes and not knowing what that meant. The bittersweet feeling of belonging without really knowing what he was belonging to. 

Then there was the old, century old, nostalgia, of a plane that no longer existed. Of a plane lost to The Hunger and consumed a century, eleven years, seven months, and five days ago. The nostalgia of being twenty and going to college. Of working towards a bright shining future and going out on what was supposed to be merely an eight month voyage.

As Magnus neared the main building, what used to house the chamber where the Director (Lucretia) (Lucy) told them that she destroyed the(ir) relics, he realized that it mimicked the building where he went to class for four years learning science. Pushing open the door, his eyes couldn't help landing on everything that was the same. 

The carvings on the crown molding of the ceilings (he remembers being dared to find a way to touch it and breaking his arm from the fall), the careful pattern of gold leaf on the ceiling (ghosts of laughter from when Taako levitated himself up to touch it). Magnus tore his eyes away from the copied details and walked down the hallway, trying to not think of a life one hundred planes away.

His lone footsteps echoed in the empty halls, unlike either of his memories. There were no Reclaimers or Regulators or Seekers bustling about and talking to each other. There were no rowdy and stupid twenty-something's daring each other to do stupider and rowdier things. From neither of the memories, there was only one set of footsteps now. No sets to the left, none to the right. There was just silence, broken only by his sole footsteps echoing. 

Magnus was rushing in, but this time there was no one following after him. Pusing open the door to Lucretia’s (the Director there was no trace of Lucy here) study, Magnus rubbed his arm, feeling that he was flesh and not a wooden mannequin again. He continued on, hands clenched into fists to keep them from shaking as he moved into The Director’s (Lucretia’s?) (Lucy’s?) inner sanctum. Magnus felt his breath leave him in a second.

It felt...wrong to be here. The room was an almost perfect simulacrum of Lucretia’s room on the Starblaster. The slightly claustrophobic feel set off by bookshelves going from floor to ceiling, the white interior mimicking the riveted metal of the ship. But there were differences that made his head spin. The relics sitting dark and drained of Light on the shelf like knick-knacks, the blue and silver themed bedspread and decor. Magnus reached out blindly, trying to find the shelf that Lucy always kept near the door, and found himself falling to the ground. There was no shelf.

Pushing himself back up to his feet, Magnus paced the few steps to the bookshelf and reached out to take the bell. His hand shook and he remembered flashing lights and gaudy clothes and a red robe that he did(n’t) know and the feeling of being outside of his body and the feeling of watching his body turn to dust and the memory of Carey’s tears when she thought he was dead.

He felt his hand grab the handle of the bell and snapped out of his thoughts. He came here to get this bell. He came here to get this bell and save his friend. He came here to get this bell, save his friend, and fix what had been broken. He came here to get this bell.

Stuffing it in his pocket, Magnus let the words replay in his mind like a mantra. If he focused on what he came to do (get the bell save Taako get the bell save Taako), then he wouldn’t lose sight of it. 

He marched through the halls (familiar and not), back straight and footsteps hard and fast because he knew if he let himself stop and think about anything he wouldn’t get down in time to save them. He could feel his nails (squared off though they were) biting into his palm and he couldn’t spare the mental energy to force the fists to release. 

Magnus barely spared a nod (apologize later) to Avi as he climbed into a pod. Only when he sat down and buckled in did he let his emotions catch up to him. His hands (crescent moons of blood welling up from where his nails bit too deep) tugged and yanked at his hair as his breath turned into gasps and wretched sobs. Sobs that he had done before. On the cycle where he was left alone to pilot the ship, in front of the ashes of Raven’s Roost, over his wife’s grave. It was too much right now, too many lost (4/7 birds, as many as a bad cycle but there’s no reset here it’s up to him) and Magnus has to do this or all 6 will go and he’ll be left alone. 

He can feel the sphere shudder, getting closer and closer to the ground and it took a tremendous act of strength (asking for help, asking for help there’s no one to ask) to take his hand out of his hair and pull back on the lever to stop. He did it in time (what if he didn’t?), and he wiped the tears off of his face and smoothed his hair. 

There’s no time to debate his own thoughts, his own feelings. Magnus has to rush in and he has to do it right this time. His hand is splayed on the wood of the door, and he almost pushes before he has second thoughts.

Selfish thoughts, thoughts that normally would’ve been done away with in seconds but now? Now it’s all he can do but stand frozen on the doorstep of his close friend and think: what if he just left? What if he went back to rebuilding Raven’s Roost and making a dog school and never see his friends again? What if he just left?

He didn’t notice time was passing or that his hand was curled into a fist until he heard liquid drop onto the stone doorstep. Blood from his hands, Magnus grimaced and wiped it off on his pants. His hand moved from the door to the handle, and he pushed the door open. 

The scene had barely changed, but Taako was grinning like a he-devil (not mischievous not familiar not nice not Taako) as he poured a nervous Merle a cup of lavender tea, “Oh! Mags! You’re back in time for tea!” There was an implicit threat there, one that had been there since he first heard Angus tell him to come over. A threat and a promise. 

Magnus reached into the bag before he could have second thoughts (rushing in always rushing in no time to think no time no time no time), and brought out the bell. It felt like the bell had been used on him again. Floating out of his body and barely feeling the rough wood in his grasp. Barely feeling pain from the self made cuts on his hands and barely registering the fact that the gold of the bell itself had red on it. He barely allowed himself to register the worried look on Taako’s face before he swallowed his spit to dry his throat and let his hand ring the bell (get the bell to save Taako get the bell save Taako two simple missions).

Taako’s eyes (he knew what they really looked like now, dark and wicked and corrupted and not Taako not Taako not Taako) went wide, then white, then shut. A white glowing wisp of light was rocketed out of his body, and began to dissipate in the air. He collapsed backwards, pushing the teapot and sending it shattering to the ground. 

Merle looked up at Magnus from his place on the couch, and as feeling returned to his body, he could hear the rough voice (familiar, fatherly almost, a voice that made hope on a plane covered in deadly fungi, a voice that defended his past sins before dying anyway, a voice that he had heard for a century, then not for a decade, and now again) say, “This was your big plan, Burnsides?”

Magnus could weep. Weep at what he could’ve done to his friend, weep at the familiarity of Merle reprimanding him, weep at the past and the present and the decade in between those two time frames. Magnus could weep, and he did.


	15. Chapter 15

The thud that Taako made on the ground wasn’t particularly loud (the plush carpeting had cushioned his fall), but it still rippled throughout the room. It came in different ripples. In the sound of Lucretia’s teacup falling to the ground, sickly sweet tea spilling over the carpet. In the physical jump of Kravitz as he scrambled to his husband’s side. In the way that Angus slowly blinked his eyes as if he was waking up from a long sleep. It came in the sickly glob of _something_ that had flown out of Taako’s chest the second the bell rang, and that still hovered over him.

Dripping purple that dissipated into nothing before hitting the ground, and almost everyone was too occupied to deal with it. Almost everyone except for Taako’s beautiful perfect perfect magic boy Angus who jumped into action. His hands grabbed the vase (some necromantic soul capturing relic from one or another of the Reaper Trio’s raids) and upturned it (dumping out some rather dead flowers) as he swept the orb into it. The trap was sprung, dark purple tendrils latching in a net-like pattern over the mouth of the vase. 

With the elephant...or, orb in the room taken care of, everyone could focus on the unconscious elf. There was a horrid scar on the side of his face, spider webbing out just two shades lighter than his natural skin tone. But his chest rose and fell, and when his eyes fluttered open they were honey brown and the sob that wrended itself from Kravitz’s mouth broke the silence holding them.

“Taako are you okay?”

“Taako bud, are you..you?”

“Happy you’re back to normal”

Three voices spoke at once. Lucretia (forgetting their feud that now seemed so silly at the current moment), Magnus (fearful of what he might have done to his friend’s soul, memories of Wonderland flowing through his head), and Merle (disguising his worry with casual comments, but thinking of Wonderland too, but more of the limp bodies of his friends surrounding him).

Taako’s response was eloquent as always, “Huh?”

Kravitz shifted to rest Taako against the couch, summoning up a tiny ball of light at the tip of his pointer finger. Waving it back and forth, he chewed on the inside of his bottom lip as he watched the pupils dilate and iris’s move. “I’m not a doctor but this looks normal.”

He felt rough wood push him out of the way as Merle moved over Taako, “It’s a good thing that you have a cleric in the room.” He pointedly ignored Magnus’s derisive snort as his hands glowed golden, a breeze flowing through the room as Taako inhaled deeply. His eyes glowing gold (not gold, soft yellow dandelion yellow sun yellow safety yellow) before they dimmed down.

“I…” Taako’s voice was raspy and he reached for the untouched cup of tea before it was slammed onto the ground (shattering the cup someone’s going to have to pick up those pieces only one of them has shoes on). A light whine (broken up, his throat is so dry), “Why you gotta stain my rug like that?” There was still a slight slurring to his words, causing a few laughs. But the laughs died off at the next question, “Where’s Lulu?”

Magnus, (thinking about the basement with the bodies and the umbrella and oh god Angus Angus is down there and Taako doesn’t know), sat down next to him and clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder, “Taako…”

“Where’s Lulu, Mags? Where is she?” There was a whining need to his words, one the Birds hadn’t heard since the Century and one that Kravitz had never heard.

It was Century when Magnus scooped Taako into his arms (done once, twice, thrice, 20 times, 40 times, 100 times, over and over, dead and alive).

Taako opened his mouth to argue, to tell Magnus to let him down, but he let his mouth close with a soft click of his teeth, “Show me where Lulu is.”

Magnus sighed, but did as he asked, opening the door to the basement as he slowly descended the spiraling metal stairs. “We...none of us blame you.”

“That’s not sounding good, what did I do.” It was barely a question, “Magnus. Where is Lulu?”

Magnus didn’t (couldn’t) reply, but he set Taako on the ground and pointed to the capsule holding a (too) familiar red umbrella.

Taako felt his breath hitch in the back of his throat, and he shakily made his way towards the glass, brushing his finger pads against the cold glass, “No…”

“We can...Taako, her body isn’t dead. It’s a construct, we can just break open the staff and she can possess the body again.”

“But I _put her back in that goddamn umbrella_.” Taako’s words were bit out, a growl creeping into the edges of his words as he stared at the umbrella.

“We can get her out.”

“That won’t erase what I did to her, to all of you and you know it.” Taako moved to the panel, pressing buttons and pulling levers until the goo began to drain out of the capsule and the umbrella was left sitting in a now open cylinder. 

With shaking hands, Taako grasped it. His mind was full of staring down the Hunger, staring down Lucretia and only just now remembering his sister (his sister who he trapped who he killed).

He snaps the umbra staff over his knee. 

Red smoke pours out, and there she is. Phantasmal and Resplendent and angry, so very very angry.

Taako could see the translucent skull of his sister as she brushed through him, a shiver going through him as his breath momentarily hitched in the back of his throat. Silently (afraid? Afraid to call out? Afraid to be called out?), he turned around. His head slowly turning down to follow to path of the red robe slowly shifting into the body.

Lup’s body jerked awake, hands moving all over her body as her chest heaved. Eyes slit and ears pulled back as her breath wheezed. Taako could see her hands tighten and clench down on harder places; clavicle, elbows, knees, face. Real, solid, hard. Even slightly painful considering how white her knuckles turned as her arms crossed over her chest. Fingernails digging into her shoulder bones as her eyes slowly returned to normal and she stood up. Brushing off her outfit as she steeled her back.

The footsteps were physically soft, but the sound of her padding towards him made Taako physically recoil. She was slow, calm even, and that’s what make Taako take a step backwards, ears pointed downward. But Lup doesn’t stop, she gets close (so very close he can hear her ‘mhm-hmm’ from the world with the robots) and she looks him in the eye.

He has to force himself to meet Lup’s eyes, to not shy away from his sister. (He has to face the music, whatever that tune will be he’ll dance so long as he never sees Lup in her lich form again). There’s a carefully sculpted blankness to her eyes, even as they flick over his face, searching for something. 

Lup raised her hands, raised them up to cup Taako’s face. Slowly brushing over the scar (tender tender tender don’t flinch don’t flinch when she’s touching you you love her she’s your twin she’d never hurt you), and then? Then the damn breaks.

Her hands move down, wrapping around his waist as she tugged him close. He can hear her heart, the steady rhythm matching with his and he clutched at her. His hands tightening on his shirt as slowly, they sank to the ground sobbing. 

The soak of his shirt, the feeling of his sister’s chest heaving (no longer from the shock of needing to), the slight twinge of pain from her hands knotting themselves in his hair. Taako curled into her, as though if he pressed hard enough he’d be able to help them both. 

They sat there, holding each other as their sobs died down. Countless minutes passed by until they heard the awkward shift of Magnus (how had they forgotten about him?) as he cleared his throat. “We should...we should get Barry out of his capsule.”

Blood rushed to Lup’s cheeks as it drained from Taako’s, his breath hitching much more, “Did I….him too?” The middle of his sentence died out, leaving a gaping hole.

“I don’t think so. I think you just knocked him out, there’s still time to make everything okay. You just have to let him out, then we’ll go upstairs, and we’ll talk. We can just...talk.”

“Talk, talk, yeah yeah let’s just- let’s just fucking _talk_ about how I fucking brainwashed all of them!”

“Almost. You didn’t get me, you didn’t get Merle, you didn’t get Barry-”

“Yeah, but I knocked him out and shoved him in a capsule! I-” His breath hitched, and he just gestured at the broken Umbra staff.

He felt Lup’s hand, squeezing his shoulder, “Just get him out of the capsule. He’s Barry, he’ll forgive you.” Her hand dropped, moving to her bicep, touching the entwined runes. “He’s the lover, I know he’ll forgive you.”

Taako didn’t verbally reply, but a flick of his ear answered her as he stood up. Brushing off his skirt, he moved to repeat the button pressing and lever pulling to release Barry from his capsule.

The human woke up almost instantly, gasping at the new feeling of breathing in air rather than a weird simulacrum of breathable water. Barry’s body flopped out and he moved onto his hands and knees, gasping and clutching at his chest. A glance up at Taako and a confused wheeze worked it’s way past his lips, “Taako? But you…” He looked around, at his red robe folded neatly, “What the fuck just happened?”

Taako crouched by him, “Let’s go upstairs. We have a lot to talk about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I RETURN!!! God I didn't mean to let this go unupdated so long. But life got in the way. Nevertheless! I am Here!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I RISE!!!
> 
> Honestly the fact that this chapter got out before the holidays at all is thanks to starlight-seeker on tumblr because they told me they wanted to draw stuff for this and I immediately died and then reanimated to write this. Once they tag me in the art, I'll put it in the ending notes along with the other art my other friend has done. (EDIT: It is in the end notes!) Now! Onto the chapter!

After filling Barry in on everything that had transpired (and oh they couldn’t handle the self-smug smile on his face when he was told that his soul trapper trapped the hunger), they began to make their slow way upstairs.

Lup’s gaite was _off_ , a stumble here or an odd jerk of her limb there. She shrugged it off though (not that Taako expected anything else from his sister), and merely offered up a glib, “This always happen when you get put back into a construct, Barry’s explained it enough to me.” But her sight was firmly affixed to Taako’s left ear.

Barry grunted in agreement, fingers running through his hair to try to comb out green slime. “That’s right, the way human bodies work..and move. They’re really...fucking wack, man. But, Lup,” And here he turns to look at his lover, “if the feeling doesn’t go away within the week, talk to me, okay?”

She nodded, and the three of them (for Magnus had returned up the stairs to check on the state of the rest of his family) began to ascend the metal staircase as a group. Or at the very least, with Lup and Barry taking the lead and Taako trailing three steps behind.

When they got back up to the ground level, Magnus had already been taking care of damage control. There was a new pot of tea on the table, and even Magnus himself was drinking from it. Kravitz (who had been looking towards the basement door just a second before Taako made eye contact with him), twisted his head to the side, unwilling (unable?) to look Taako in the eye.

Guilt was a serpent tying itself into knots in Taako’s stomach as his gaze slowly drifted from Kravitz, to Lucretia, to Angus, to Merle, to Magnus, to Barry, to Lup, and it descended down until he was staring at the floor. His hand came up to adjust his hat (almost to the point where he was pulling the brim down to hide his face), and he cleared his throat.

Even without a clear view of his friends (his family), Taako could sense the jolt of shock at his voice but still he soldiered on. “I-” Even saying a single syllable proved to be too much. His voice cracked quite terribly and his hand tugged the brim of his hat down lower, “I know-” A strained tremor came into his voice as he tried again, his breath jumping and making him choke on the words bubbling up in his throat.

Bile rose in the back of his throat and he swallowed it down, wincing at the acidic taste. “I know I-”. His voice broke for the final time and he raised his hand, whispering out a broken, “Teleportation.” And then he was gone. 

The stunning affect this caused was mitigated slightly by the sound of Taako’s bedroom door slamming shut ten feet down the hallway. All of them turned to look at each other, all of them unwilling to intrude upon the physical distance that Taako set.

Of course, most of their gazes were directed towards Lup. Questioning, not in a barbed way, but in a way that made her own stomach twist. Her teeth dug into her lower lip, breathing in through clenched teeth, “I…” Her words trailed off, but when it returned it was stronger. “I know my brother better than anyone else here-” Lup turned her head to stare at the shut bedroom door, “He’ll want to be left alone, I’ll handle him when he doesn’t.” Flames licked at the gaps between her fingers.

~~~

What came next was a tense waiting game. Kravitz quickly moved to the kitchen where he could be heard talking over the Stone with a rather angry Lucas who wanted to know where his star student was (if not for the tone of the room, Angus would’ve laughed at the flippant responses Kravitz was replying with). Magnus and Merle were still working on damage control, asking both Angus and Lucretia if they were sure they were feeling alright and that the spell wasn’t having any unforeseen effects (Angus didn’t really know how annoying Zone of Truth could be until Merle cast it three times to make sure none of them succeeded on a saving roll).

He knows (he knows) that Miss Lup was right, and that they should leave Taako alone for now and he knows that Taako needs to talk with his sister but Gosh Darn It! He has to see for himself that Taako really is back and won’t kill or enchant him. So this is how Angus finds himself slowly creeping past a distracted Lup. Her back was towards him, and she was hurriedly whispering to Barry. Licks of flame stole up her hair, turning the blonde to red as her magic ate away at her very being with no outlet. 

Barry took a step towards Lup (and in turn taking a step towards Angus), and he could feel his breath hitch. Posture stiffening, Angus began to slowly lower himself to the ground as he watched Barry place a hand of Lup’s back and lead her away from the living room. An exhale of relief and he continued on. 

The hallway were tastefully decorated (like everything in this house, very familiar), and Angus’s hand was shaky as it grabbed the brass doorknob (unfamiliar, he wasn’t sure that he liked that). But he turned it, and he pressed the door open.

Inside, it was more chaotic than any room in their home had been. The mirrors (both the floor one and the vanity one) were shattered, their glass shades being scattered around the room. Drops of...something that can’t be blood. Blood doesn’t shine like that, blood isn’t gold like that.

A rustle of fabric had Angus looking up, and his breath once again hitched in the back of his throat.

The bed had been pulled from the oaken frame and laid on the ground, piled on top of it seemed to be the entire contents of both of his father’s wardrobes. He noticed the black suit jacket that Kravitz favored for date nights, and the rainbow of scarves that Taako would always bring out during the colder months. All of them were weaved together, making a net-like base of something that was almost like a nest.

In the middle of the nest, was Taako. His hair was floating, almost to the point where it was being tugged out of the messy braid that it had been put into. His eyes were glowing bright gold, and when he opened his mouth a rush of syllables came out at a pitch that almost sounded like bird chatter.

His hands moved to grasp the edge of the nest (coiled out of scarves and shirts and dresses and pants) and Angus could see the golden blood dripping from his fingers.

“Oh...goddamnit.” Angus breathed out, “Not again.” And with that, he turns his back on his father and slowly strode to the door. He slammed it shut behind him and called out, “Uh..Miss Lup? Something’s wrong with Taako again!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://thereisnoyellinginfantasycostco.tumblr.com/post/175553953322/scrubbadu-thereisnoyellinginfantasycostco-you
> 
> https://thereisnoyellinginfantasycostco.tumblr.com/post/175553286852/scrubbadu-thereisnoyellinginfantasycostco
> 
> https://thereisnoyellinginfantasycostco.tumblr.com/post/180706803612/a-while-back-when-i-had-started-reading
> 
> AO3 won't let me do embedded links and it's almost midnight so!! For another day!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM ALIVE!!!!!!!
> 
> Oof school has been kicking my ass but I SWEAR this isn't over. February didn't shake out because Femslash Feb and I refuse to care about men for that month. March I had school stuff. April I was writing my own original novel. But now!! Now in May! Like the flowers I return and like the flowers I have thorns.
> 
> So I also made this chapter just a bit longer than average as a reward for sticking with me!

Angus could hear chittering that sounded like too many voices at once coming from behind the door, and he kept his hand yanking the doorknob shut, “Miss Lup?” He called out again, hearing the scraping of metal on wood.

“Yeah kiddo?” Lup poked her head around the corner, long hair dangling down. Her lips twisted into a frown as she saw Angus’s concern. Turning back into the dining room, she called for Magnus before moving to cup Angus’s cheek, “What’s up little man?”

He opened his mouth to reply when the was a loud slam against the door. Taako’s chittering escaped through the crack underneath the door, “Lup Lup Lup Lup Lup, come inside I want to talk.” His voice was rushed out in one breath, and there was a yank on the door handle.

Lup raised her eyebrow and Angus felt compelled to answer her, “He’s...weird. He was all glowing and he had made this weird nest?” He motioned, trying to encapsulate the size of it, “And there was gold...something? I think it was blood? All of the mirrors were broken and-”

Lup’s face went pale and she crouched down, one hand moving to hold his shoulder, “Were his hands bleeding?” Angus nodded. “Was his hair like….floating?” Angus nodded. “Fuck.” Standing up, Lup patted Angus on the back, “Follow me, I gotta inform the gang that this happened again.” And with a flick of her wand (locking the bedroom door to keep Taako contained), she was striding off towards the living room.

“Again?” He had to walk faster than normal to keep up with Lup’s long strides, and for once since this entire thing happened, his mind was a whirlwind. Again? He knew that Lup and Taako had been through more years than he’d probably ever see, but again? How many possessions that was exactly like this had happened for Lup to know it from a few questions answered? Angus couldn’t get the image of Taako glowing and looking down at him out of his head, and he almost ran into the doorframe before Lup stopped him. 

“Guys.” Lup snapped her fingers, using just a touch of Thaumaturgy to boost her voice. It did the trick, and everyone in the room looked to her. “Kravitz, Angus, you’re going to have no idea what the hell is about to come out of my mouth but-” And now she turned to the others, “-It’s cycle nine all over again.”

The result groans and hissed curses from languages that Angus definitely didn’t know. Lucretia had her head in her hands, cursing and muttering as she tugged at her hair. Magnus kept glancing towards the hallway, one of his hands coming to rub at a patch of his skin (there was no scar, but none of them had any evidence of the century). Merle scowled, huffing out as he picked at the bark on his soulwood arm, mumbling out something Angus couldn’t overhear. 

Barry was the only one to have a slightly strange reaction, there was a light behind his eyes and he grinned. There was something Angus had never really seen in Barry now, something that made it very clear to Angus that Barry was a lich with necromantic talent. Something scary that reminded him of exactly why liches and necromancer are usually the bad guys. “Oh?” His voice was questioning as he tilted his head, something curling his lips upwards.

Lup gave her husband a glare, leaning to gently flick his cheek, “No...no, it’s...babe it’s _Taako_ this time. It’s not...it’s not like last time.” There was something sad and worried in her eyes as she glanced around at her comrades, opening her mouth to say something when there was movement on the other side of the room.

Kravitz stood up, almost banging his knees against the table, “What happened last time?” His shoulders and jaw were set and he couldn’t keep his eyes off of the hallway archway. “What is happening with my fiance? What is _wrong_ with my fiance?” As he stressed the word, his face flickered to bone as he tried to keep a hold of his emotions.

She stiffened slightly, freezing for a second before turning to face Kravitz and Angus. “R-Right, okay. This...considering how Ango described it, I think...I really think it’s the same thing as that cycle. The eyes, the floating hair, the weird...bird stuff.” 

“Bird like you guys are The Birds or bird like-” Kravitz rolled his wrist.

Magnus spoke up, now leaning against the back of the couch, “Bird like a normal, non-savior bird. And if it is...like cycle 9, then we have an issue on our hands.”

“Will you just stop being cagey and tell us what Cycle 9 was? We didn’t get every single detail of every single cycle so I would very much appreciate it if you stopped using euphemisms and just tell us what we’re dealing with!” Angus had his hands balled into fists and once all eyes were on him, he flushed and ducked his head, “If you want to, of course...miss.”

Lup sighed, allowing her shoulders to slump as she threw herself into the armchair closest to her, “Alright this is….this is going to be a long story.” Running her fingers through her hair, Lup glanced in turn at her friends (her family), “You guys ain’t off the hook, we’re all doing this together.”

“Well, alright.” Lucretia had taken her head out of her hands, which were now picking at loose threads in her jacket, “So, we had come to the new cycle, but something went wrong almost entirely right away.” She scratched at the back of her head, fingers digging into the buzzed parts of her hair. “The Light...it always fell before we got there. Most of the time we’d witness it fall, and those would be the best of times. It was easier to track.” Her eyes darted to Merle and he cleared his throat.

“This time there was some….Bare, what did you say it was?”

“Atmospheric resistance, look I’ll just take over this part.” Barry ran his hand through his hair, chewing on the inside of his lip before he continued the story. “So because of the resistance, it took us longer to land, and we didn’t get to see where it went. And by the time we found it, around a month into the cycle, it had been found by someone else.” He adjusted to lean against Lup’s chair, “It wasn’t like that was weird...okay actually at that point the entire fucking thing was still weird, but looking back on it, it wasn’t weird for people to have found the Light before us.” He didn’t focus on any of their faces, instead glancing down at his fiddling hands, “But this time it was different.”

“This time,” The focus of the room moved to Magnus, and his eyes stayed trained on the ground. “This time someone found the Light and decided to something...new with it.” He grimaced, “He ate it. The guy found a glowing rock in the woods, and he ate it.”

Merle rolled his eyes, gently nudge Magnus’s arm, “You did that with the Philosopher's Stone, back in Lucas’s lab. Taako had to turn your body into a fucking tube slide to get it out.” 

“Yeah well...okay yeah but that Stone wasn’t glowing. Anyway, can I continue?” Even with the thick air of horror at what had become of their friend, there was something comforting about Magnus Burnsides. No one interrupted him after a minute of silence, and Magnus continued, “So, he ate the Light and it...it messed him up. His eyes started glowing and his hair was floating, and he.” Magnus again glanced towards the hallway door. “He started like kidnapping people close to him, got real possessive of em.”

There was a pause in the story, and an uncomfortable silence fell onto the room. Lup cleared her throat, keeping her gaze on some point in the distance. “He grabbed just a bunch of gold and precious metals and just...we don’t know how he did it but he convinced the people he kidnapped to stay.” She shivered, pulling her jacket closer around her as she curled on the armchair, “It was creepy as hell when we found the nest. Just a bunch of glassy-eyed people who were completely motionless. Like everyone he had taken was just, completely out of it. Wave a hand in front of their face and their eyes didn’t track. Really it was-”

“We didn’t even get the goddamn Light that cycle!” Lucretia interrupted, nails digging into her biceps, “We watched a man destroy his fucking family and his friends and we couldn’t even get the light out of him. We had to leave and now he and his family has probably popped back into existence after that fucking _God dude_ set everything back to what it was. And for what? They’re just going to have memories of the guy fucking em up and...and we don’t even know how away the guy _was_.”

“So,” Kravitz’s grip on his cup had gone white-knuckled, “What you’re saying is that we have no idea if my fiance is actually in his own head justifying it, or if he’s trapped.” There was a well hidden tremble in his hand as he placed the cup down. “I’m going to talk to him,” Slowly, he stood up.

“No!” Lup moved to put her hand on his bicep when he passed her, “Trust me, you don’t want to do that.” She uncrossed her legs and moved to stand, “We need to get an actual plan for this, okay? We tried rushing in last time and almost got completely fucked over.”

“I should go in first.” Magnus spoke up, straightening up as his hands squeezed the back of the couch, “Odds are I can tackle him down so he can’t try anything before one of you can knock him out.”

“Horrible idea, Magnus I love you but that’s one of the dumbest plans we as a group have come up with.” Lucretia sighed, “Okay, so I think we’re strongest at a team.” Slowly, she straightened up. There was a bit of steel in her spine, a tenseness to her jaw. It was easy to see how she had survived a decade alone, alone on a moon as The Director. Her gaze glanced and landed on all of them in turn, before she stalled. When she spoke again, it was as Luci. “Guys….where’s Angus?”

And then, they all heard the door to the bedroom slam.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two chapters???? in a week????? Damn....

When they realized that Angus had gone inside, they all rushed in (for once). Kravitz enveloped himself in a cloud of feathers, soon reappearing at the now locked door. Crouched down and trying to jimmy the enchanted lock to no avail, while the mortals (and Barry and Lup who forgot about their powers in their panic) had to do it the mundane way.

Or, as mundane as five fully grown adults trying to squeeze through a single doorway can be. Lucretia’s bony elbow dug into Magnus’s chest, giving her leverage to push her way out of the tangle. Stumbling as her feet hit something that wasn’t a body, Lucretia almost crashed into Kravitz. Glancing at the bobby pins that Kravitz was jiggling inside of the lock, she sighed. Gently nudging him out of the way, her fingers glowed as she let her skills from Cycle 35 take over. 

There’s a few clicks in the mechanism, and Lucretia allows herself a moment to flash a (slightly) smug glance at Kravitz. There’s a weak point in her, something that murmurs about how she should be able to joke with her almost brother-in-law. About how she should be able to smirk and be smug and joke around with everyone in this goddamn house. But she made her choice ten years ago, when she tossed journal after journal into a tank and allowed the gap to widen. And now Kravitz just frowns a bit when she smirks.

She opened her mouth to try to apologize, to say that she forgot herself (forgot everything else), when there was a glow of light coming from under the door. There was a loud boom, and a screeching cry, and Lucretia had to yank her hands back. The bobby pins had melted in the lock, solidifying back within a second. The lock was useless now and she cursed, glancing at her friends who had now gathered around them.

“Angus is locked inside now.” Her voice maintained gravitas as she looked at the door, trying to see through it. 

“You don’t think...Taako will hurt the kid will he?” Magnus fiddled with the wrapping on the handle of his axe, looking at the door like he was a second from chopping it down.

“No, I don’t think he will.” Eyes turned to Lup, but she remained focused on the door. “Even during Cycle 9, the guy never hurt anyone he wanted to capture.” There was a pause, and within seconds Magnus was swinging his axe towards the door. 

To their shock, his axe made contact with the wood. And then, to nobody’s shock, he was blasted back into the wall. The plaster cracked where he impact and he slumped to the ground on his hands and knees, “Okay. Let me try that again-”

“No!” In the sort of unison that can only be achieved through a century of working together, the others moved to push him back down.

“Magnus, some things can’t be solved by rushing in.” Barry placed his hand on his shoulder and heaved him up to stand, “We really need a plan for this.”

“A plan that doesn’t involve you doing experiments on my brother, Bare.” Lup squeezed his wrist, “We all know what your plan was on Cycle 9.”

Barry cringed, just a bit, and patted Lup’s hand, “I was a necromancer, then, and I was a younger man then…” He sighed and ran his thumb over the ring on her finger, “Taako’s family, Lup, I’m not going to experiment on him.” A glance towards the door, “I just...we all saw the nest, and I’d really prefer not seeing any of you like that. I don’t...we need a plan to get in. And preferably one that will save Angus.”

There was a scrabbling noise, like multiple rings had been tossed over the floor. Lucretia cursed and shoved at the door with her shoulder, making it strain a bit but not budge. “One of us has to get in. Which one of us knows teleportation?”

“I do, I can get us all in but I’ll be rather useless when we get in.” Kravitz stood up, hand fiddling with the feathers decorating the head of the scythe, “Or I could take three of us in and only be just a bit exhausted.”

Lup nodded, “I say Magnus and I accompany you.” There was very little room for argument, not with the fire in her eyes. “I’m not letting anyone deal with my brother without me there.”

Magnus nodded, straightening up and holding his axe at the ready, “It’s never smart to have two casters and no actual hitters. I’ll be able to hold him down if you guys need a steady target.”

Kravitz nodded, handing beginning to glow a soft purple as he chanted words that sounded more like the cries of birds rather than a language. Smoke billowed from his eyes, and with the impression of wings surrounding the three of them, they were gone.

When his feet landed on the hardwood floors, Kravitz slumped against Lup as he caught his breath, “Yeah I believe if I had teleported Merle, Lucretia, and Barry as well I definitely would have passed out.” He placed his hand on Lup’s shoulder to push onto his feet.

Finally, their attention was grabbed by exactly what had happened to the room. The closets were wide open, spilling out all of their contents. The frame of the bed had been absolutely destroyed, splinters and pieces of wood were shoved into a far corner, away from the mass of fabric that had been tangled together. 

There was a nest like shape to the mass in the middle of the room, some of the stiffer scarfs weaved together to support the form. Inside of it, there was shifting and mumbling, like Taako was inside and moving around. Gold covered hands grabbed onto the edge of the nest and the rest of Taako’s body followed as he vaulted himself out of it.

Lup gasped, jerking back away from her twin. There was something that was so wrong about seeing your own face blinking back at you through a golden mirror. Eyes covered with a golden, glassy haze and lips twisted into a sharpened smile. “Koko…” The nickname spilled out of her lips before she could stop it.

Underneath the glassy gaze, Taako’s eyes seemed to brighten. In a second, the golden haze turned orange, reflecting her fires back at her. “Lulu…” He copied her voice perfectly, like he had recorded it. He blinked his eyes, gold hands moving up to try to touch her cheeks before she jerked away. “Lu...come on, it’s just me.” He took a step towards her, arms outstretched for her.

Magnus intervened, the only one of the group to not be frozen stiff by Taako’s difference. If he could deal staring up at Edward, he could deal with staring at a possessed Taako. He pushed Lup behind him, axe putting further distance in between them, “I don’t think you want to do that, Taks.”

Taako blinked at the sudden change of who he was looking at, and tilted his head up to look Magnus in the eyes. The color of his eyes changed again, and there was something that hardened in his stance. Mimicking the protection fighter, Taako shifted into a fighting stance. Feet planted a shoulder width apart as he grabbed the hilt of the axe, “No Magnus, I think you don’t want to do that.” 

There was a glow that overtook his hands, and it spread out over the axe. The wood of the axe began to turn to a pale grey, almost translucent, mineral. Flaking even with only the weight of gravity, the glow continued to overtake the metal of the axe as well. Underneath the combined pressure of their grips, the axe began to turn to powder and drift downwards. Magnus had to yank his hand away to avoid his fingers turning to powder as well, cursing as the very tips of his fingers became dust.

“Taako!” Kravitz called, distracting him as Taako seemingly forgot about the two other people in the room. His eyes turned black, solid chunks of obsidian set deep into his face. In the low light of the room, his eyes were run through with streaks of pink and blue and red, and Kravitz had to catch his breath. Memories of a lab overrun by Tourmaline, and of a much angrier Taako pointing a lich-filled umbrella at him. Or of a city of peppermint, and a candy coated girl holding a rock in her hand. Metal people and burnt cities all from a stone. Transmutation was always a dangerous field

“Kravitz.” Taako’s voice was a simpering hum as he shifted to almost hold him, “Baby…” There was something familiar in his voice, the same cloying attention that he knew too well by now. A hand moved to take him by the cheek, but Kravitz turned away from it. Enchantment was also a dangerous field.

“Taako, don’t do this.” He didn’t even know what this _was_ , he just knew that there were no sounds coming from the nest and he didn’t know where his own fucking son was. His form shivered at the edges, fraying like fabric that had been picked at, and his face began to revert back to a skull. His eyes became glowing and red, floating in otherwise empty sockets. The voice of his goddess urged him on, knowing that Kravitz will need a _push_ to do what needs to be done.

With a skeletal hand, Kravitz reached forward. His eyes no longer seeing a physical form, only seeing two glowing orbs entangled with each other. With a skeletal hand, and the crying of a raven in his ear, he shoved his hand into Taako’s chest.

The world went white for two of them.


	19. Chapter 19

A diversion, for a second.

In the white noise that had overtaken Kravitz, he never heard Lup’s scream. Watching her own brother (her own self) get a hand shoved through his chest made her own heart hurt. As the bodies fell, Lup felt the world go sideways.

She hadn’t even noticed that she was leaning until she felt Magnus steady her, “Kravitz knows what he’s doing.” There was a sureness in his voice that Lup envied, the sureness of an optimist who truly believed in the good of everything. She felt arms move around her, sweeping her up and she instinctively curled into him.

This was another thing she had missed while in the umbrella, both the decade spent and the single day spent. Her freshly revived body felt raw and new again, craving skin to skin contact that Magnus offered without thinking about it. Lup rested her head on his shoulder, savoring the physical comfort before glancing behind them at the door, “We should...undo the enchantment and let the others come in.”

Magnus paused, and Lup realized that maybe he needed the contact as much as she did. “Yeah, we should.” And, with Lup still in his arms, he turned around and walked to the door. Putting his trust in Lup to watch the bodies and make sure nothing went wrong in the seconds he turned his back. One could never be sure with this family, especially not with the newest drama.

When they came to the door, Lup had to open it. The other option was letting herself get put down and she wasn’t ready to let go of the comfort. The enchantment took a minute to get undone, and Lup found herself unsure when Taako had learned abjuration. 

When the door opened, Magnus had to backpedal to avoid getting smashed to the side as Barry kicked it in. His eyes immediately locked on Lup’s and he rushed forwards. Hands moving to gently cup her cheeks as he searched her for any issues, “Babe? Is everything okay?”

“Who...kicks in an unlocked door?” Lup’s voice was tired and she leaned into his hands, “I’m fine, really though.” And she tapped gently on Magnus’s forearm, keying him to let her down. As her feet touched the ground, she was engulfed in one of Barry’s hugs. He squeezed her against his chest, before noticing the carnage behind them.

His breath caught in his chest as he saw Kravitz and Taako, and he pulled back to look at Lup’s face, “What...happened to them, Lup?”

“Kravitz, I think he did some soul stuff with Taako. He shoved his hands just-” She mimicked the motion she saw Kravitz do to her brother, “-shoved his hands right into Taako’s chest.”

“He- He did what?” Barry paled, cursing to himself as he sidestepped his lover. “Oh gods above and below I knew giving him that book was a bad idea.” Kneeling down next to Kravitz, Barry pulled his fanny pack around to the front. There were noises of annoyance (annoises if you will), as Barry stuck almost his entire arm (up to the armpit) into the pack, rummaging around searching for something.

“Bare…” Lup began to approach him from behind, “D’ya wanna like...tell us what the fuck’s going on here?”

“Yeah, yeah just gimme a mo’,” Barry grunted as he withdrew his arm from the fanny pack of holding. In his hand was an engraved box, looking similar to a jewelry box with intricate carvings on the wood. Gemstones set into the ebony, complex designs swirling around them and integrating them into the designs, “Here it is.”

“Barold, sweetie, honey.” Lup said, kneeling down next to him, “Here is _what_.”

Barry blinked, shifting to sit down and face her properly, hands running over the runes carved into the rim of it, “This is...a sort of containment box. I think...that if it really is the Light of Creation inside of Taako, then this baby’ll be able to keep it contained until we can get it to the astral plane.” He toyed with the latch, swinging it back and forth, “And...we found it in a necromancer’s lair.”

“Barry, you know we’re not supposed to be taking stuff from the lairs without permission,” Lup hummed, glancing from the box to her brother, “But...if RQ never finds out-”

“What the Raven Queen know won’t hurt her,” Barry finished, reaching to gently squeeze her hand in his. “We just have to trust Kravitz.”

“How can we trust Kravitz when we don’t even know what he’s doing?” Lup squeezed his hand, hard in her anxiety as her eyes stayed trained on Taako’s body. Not for the first time, she hated (despised) the fact that they looked so different now. 

There were differences, there were always differences even before the century, before the decade apart. Nicks and scars from different events, scars of growing up with one as the protector. But there were new things. New scars that Taako had gotten, bigger and more drastic. Burns and marks of magic and blades, stuff that she wasn’t there (wasn’t able) to protect him from. And then of course, there was what Wonderland had stolen from him.

No matter how vindicated she felt burning Edward to a crisp, it would never be enough to avenge what was stolen. Their identicality was stolen, something now inherently different about their faces and looks. Glamour can hide it, like it can most things, but it cannot give back what was stolen.

“I know what he’s doing,” Barry’s voice snapped her out of her own mind, like it had been doing for decades. “Kravitz is going to try to get into a sort of….mindscape with Taako. Try to separate out the Light from the person, you know? If anyone can do it, I’d put my bets on either of you.”

Lup stiffened slightly, almost moving forward before Barry held her back, “Babe, babe wait. What if I joined him in there? I know Taako like I know myself! I could reason with him! I could- fuck I could do _something_!”

His hand moved to gently cup her cheek, running his thumb across her cheek, “Lup, honey, I don’t think you should go in.” A slight wince as he tutted his tongue softly, “Let me finish. Taako loves you, that’s obvious and doesn’t really need stating, but I think that that strong love and memories could really turn against you.” He paused, chewing on his bottom lip, “We all saw that man’s house, and we know that all of those people were his really close loved ones. I dunno I just feel like having two people there that he cares that strongly about would backfire, and things could go extremely, extremely wrong.”

“I can’t just...do nothing.” Lup felt her eyes drift back to her twin’s (is twin even the right word anymore?) body. 

“Then let’s clean up. You know what they say about idle hands, dearest.” Barry smiled softly, leaning to kiss her lips.

“Yeah...yeah, it won’t really help if I just sit here...staring.”

“Right, we just have to trust them.” Barry stood, leading Lup to her feet. “Now, let’s see how much of this mess we can fix before they wake up.”

Lup hummed, standing up before turning towards the nest that had been constructed, “We should...try to handle Angus, shouldn’t we?”

Barry’s face paled, and he inhaled sharply as he pivoted on his heel towards it, “We should. We should.” And yet, he didn’t approach the nest. Only looking up at it and inhaling slowly through his nose as he allowed his mind to race through all the horrible options of how Angus could be in there.

There was a beat of silence, tension ringing in between them, and then it was broken. “You guys handle the rest of the mess, I’ll deal with the kid.” Magnus had not left the room like they thought, and he moved to begin to climb up the side of the nest.

Barry and Lup shared a glance, but just moved to begin to repair the frame of the bed. Eyes never staying still on the magic, always drifting away to the bodies limp on the ground, or to the nest taking up the rest of the room.

~~

Magnus was surprised at how sturdy the nest was. There were places supported by fragments of wood and jewelry that he could hook his foot and his hand into to pull himself up to the next one. It took a minute, but by the time he was at the top, his hair was brushing the ceiling. Looking down, he grimaced at the depth of it.

Automatically, his hand moved back, trying to grip the handle of Railsplitter, before he remembered. Railsplitter was dust on the ground at this point, but he had been alive long enough (technically much too long), he knew better than to depend on one weapon alone. Hands moved back in a practiced motion as he withdrew two daggers (thank everything for Carey).

He inhaled, turning his back to the entrance to the nest, and then he jumped down. Flinging himself backwards into a free fall before reaching out to dig both of the knives into the fabric. Ripping the fabric apart, his free fall slowed down until his feet hit the bottom. “Ango?” He called out, yanking the blades out of the thick fabric. “You here, bud?”

The sound of silence that met him put him on edge, and he readied a knife before frowning. This was, no matter what Taako had done, still a kid. Still Angus. He sheathed the knives back into his belt and glanced around. Trying to spot a kid-shaped shadow, Magnus tensed as he saw a vaguely body-shaped lump under a blanket.

Shifting to crouch beside it, Magnus gingerly turned it over, “Kid?” He felt his breathing slow, almost stopping, as if breathing too loudly would ruin something delicate. The lump shifted, rolling with the movement, and Angus’s sleeping face was revealed.

A few more insistent shakes of his shoulder to no avail, and he caught the familiar glint of a sleep spell woven over Angus’s eyes. Numbly, he felt his hands move, reaching up to unhook the pendent from around his neck. Shifting to take Angus’s sleeping body into his arms, he placed the necklace on Angus.

Brown eyes snapped open, and he spoke, “Holy fuck, Sir.”


End file.
